Why you shouldn’t kick over every rock stack you see at national parks

(NEXSTAR) — You may have been on a hike in, say, one of America’s national parks and seen bountiful nature — tall sequoias, dazzling waterfalls, a breathtaking valley of flowers. And then you come upon what appears to be a pile of rocks. 

Your first instinct may be to kick it down, like National Park Service rangers have asked of visitors before. Before you put boot to rocks, though, you may want to consider your surroundings. 

Visitors to the national parks are often encouraged to “leave no trace” when recreating...