Tahquamenon State Park Speaks The Truth About Why Rock Stacking Is Bad
The next time you're in Paradise, Michigan, or anywhere else for that matter, this is a reminder to leave those river rocks alone!
Leave No Trace
The Tahquamenon Falls State Park recently put out a Facebook post reminding visitors not to stack rocks along the river when they visit, something that a lot of people do for various reasons (therapeutic, aesthetic, or otherwise). A seemingly innocent activity with some severe consequences.
I had no idea that disturbing the rocks would cause such a disruption in the wildlife. When you think about it, if there is a deficit in dragonflies, we'll see an increase in mosquitoes. And if young fish don't have a place to hide, they are more likely to be eaten by predators. And I don't know about you, but I don't need to be dealing with more mosquitoes.
Apparently, rock stacking has become quite the issue in recent years. MLive released an article dating back to 2018 about this same issue that's still going on. At that time, Tahquamenon Falls State Park even put together a video explaining why this was such a problem for the ecosystem.
And contrary to beliefs, these stacked rock towers are not "cairns", which "serve a specific purpose in backcountry hiking areas, where they help mark hiking routes." So instead of disturbing nature, just take some time to enjoy it, and when you're done, #leavenotrace.
If you want to visit Tahquamenon Falls in person, it is quite a sight to behold. Check out a few reasons why you should visit the falls in the gallery below.