Old Tiger Mtn Trail Marker, Issaquah Alps, WA

Backcountry Trail & Route Markers

Originally Posted: March 2021
Updated: October 2026

A photographic collection of various stone cairns, stone ducks, directional arrows, trail emblems, mile markers, mileposts, and other route markers that I’ve encountered in my mountain travels.

Photo Gallery

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Monument 83 Ski Trail Marker, Manning Prov Park, BC

West Rim Trail Marker, Zion Nat Park, UT

Route Markers On Swauk Meadow Trail, Lower Wenatchee Mtns, WA

Snowshoe Trail Marker Along Similkameen River, Manning Prov Park, BC

Route Markers At Start Of High Horse Trail, Iron Horse Mountains, WA

Wooden Mile Marker On Necklace Valley Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Mile Marker On Rattlesnake Road 5500, Issaquah Alps, WA

Metal Mile Marker On Rainbow Pass Trail, North Cascades Nat Park, WA

Kilometer Marker On Mt Catherine Loop Trail, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Mile Marker Disk On Dutchman – Three Creek Ski Trail, Deschutes Mtns, OR

Metal Mile Marker At Ninemile Saddle on Nason Ridge Trail, Upper Wenatchee Mtns, WA

Old PCT Mile Marker Near Windy Pass, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Cairn Sketch From Routes & Rocks Book

Duck Sketch From Routes & Rocks Book

Small Summit Cairn On Colchuck Peak, Icicle Mountains, WA

Fancy Route Cairn On Red Mtn, Cathedral Prov Park, BC

Tall Summit Cairn On Alta Mtn, Snoqualmie Mountains, WA

Gravelly Route Cairn On Pipe Creek Trail, Grand Canyon Nat Park, AZ

Whimsical Route Cairn On Early Winters Creek Path, Washington Pass Mtns, WA

Arched Route Cairn At Solar Pass, Picket Range, WA

Grassy Route Cairn On Skyline Trail, Olympic Mountains, WA

Dioritic Route Cairn In Lower Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Granitic Route Cairn In Lower Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Gneissic Route Cairn On Franz Josef Trail, Westland Tai Poutini Nat Park, New Zealand

Precarious Summit Cairn On Montgomery Knob, Akaroa Hills, New Zealand

Large Summit Cairn On Graham Mtn, Chelan Mountains, WA

Stacked Route Cairn Near Half Dome Summit, Yosemite Nat Park, CA

Snowy Route Cairn On Lakeview Mtn, Cathedral Prov Park, BC

Jumbo Duck On Dailey Prairie Road, Twin Sisters Range, WA

Silhouetted Duck In Lower Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Humanesque Route Cairn On Huayhuash Circuit, Peru (photo by Eileen)

Giant Stacked Boulders On Mastodon Trail, Joshua Tree Nat Park, CA

Balanced Route Cairn On Pyramid Trail, South Mountains, AZ

Giant Route Cairn On PCT, Goat Rocks Wilderness, WA

Elegant Route Cairn In Chesler Park Cavern, Canyonlands Nat Park, UT

Rock Cairn & Arrow On Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass Nat Park, New Zealand

Duck Over Boulder On McGregor Mtn, North Cascades Nat Park, WA

Ugly Route Cairn On Olympus Trail, Newcastle, WA

Blocky Route Cairn On Grand View Point Trail, Canyonlands Nat Park, UT

Tall Marker Cairn On AV2 Trail, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Delicate Duck On Robin Lakes Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Gabion Cairn Marker On Soldier Pass Trail, Sedona Mtns, AZ

Interlocking Route Cairn On Tank Lakes Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

Large Cairn At Needle/Flatiron Junction, Coquihalla Mountains, BC

Lizard On A Duck, White Rock Peak, Red Rock NCA, NV

Bled Round Trail Marker, Julian Alps, Slovenia

Palouse To Cascades Trail Marker, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Marker Post On Turtlehead Peak Trail, Red Rock Canyon NCA, NV

Simple PCT Marker Near Tinkham Pass, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Old PCT Marker Near Stevens Pass, Upper Wenatchee Mtns, WA

Old PCT Marker Near Tinkham Pass, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Modern PCT Marker In Siberian Outpost, Sierra Nevada Range, CA

Modern PCT Marker Near Tinkham Pass, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Modern PCT Marker Near Stevens Pass, Upper Wenatchee Mtns, WA

Pacific Crest Trail Marker Near Snoqualmie Pass, Snoqualmie Range, WA

Rio Grande Trail Marker, Taos Mountains, NM

Cold Creek Ski Trail Marker, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Arch Loop Trail Marker, Alabama Hills, CA

Dale Ball Trail Marker, Santa Fe Mtns, NM

Pyramid Trail Marker, South Mountains, AZ

Very Old Marker On Tiger Mountain Trail, Issaquah Alps, WA

Old Marker On Tiger Mountain Trail, Issaquah Alps, WA

Newer Marker On Tiger Mountain Trail, Issaquah Alps, WA

Very New Marker On Tiger Mountain Trail, Issaquah Alps, WA

Red & White Trail Marker On Rock, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Red & White Trail Marker On Small Boulder, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Red AV2 Trail Marker On Rock, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Red & White Trail Marker On Wooden Pole, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Red & White Trail Marker On Tree, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Yellow Diamond Marker On Cerro Grande Trail, Bandelier Nat Monument, NM

O-W Circuit Trail Marker Stake, Patagonia, Chile

Bolted Trail Marker On Needle Peak Ridge, Coquihalla Mtns, BC

Marker Boulders On Merced Canyon Trail, Yosemite Nat Park, CA

Blue Circle Marker On Williams Lake Trail, Taos Mountains, NM

Trail Marker Flag On Dutchman – Three Creek Ski Trail, Deschutes Mtns, OR

Trail Marker Diamond On Dutchman – Three Creek Ski Trail, Deschutes Mtns, OR

Paint Marker On Hiline Trail, Sedona Mtns, AZ

Directional Blue Diamond On Nordic Pass Trail, Iron Horse Mtns, WA

Hole-Punched Marker Disk On Haney Meadow Trail XC15, Lower Wenatchee Mtns, WA

Mastodon Loop Trail Marker, Joshua Tree Nat Park, CA

Blue Marker Arrow On Needle Peak, Coquihalla Mtns, BC

Gabion Cairn On Turtlehead Peak Trail, Red Rock Canyon NCA, NV

Switchback Markers High On Haney Meadow Trail, Lower Wenatchee Mtns, WA

O-W Circuit Trail Marker Arrow, Patagonia, Chile

Buried Trail Marker At Cotton Spring, Joshua Tree Nat Park, CA

Rhomboidal Tree Blaze On John Muir Trail, Sierra Nevada Range, CA

Monument 65 Obelisk, Canada/USA Border, BC/WA

Monument 78 Obelisk, Canada/USA Border, BC/WA, 1976

Eileen &Jim At Monument 83, Canada/USA Border, WA/BC

Hexagonal Steel Marker Post On Frog Lake Trail, Columbia Plateau, WA

Bonacossa Trail Plaque Near Fonda Savio Hut, Italy

AV4 Trail Marker Painted On Rock, Italy

AV4 Trail Designation Sign, Dolomite Alps, Italy

Chuckwalla Trail / Pyrite Trail Junction Marker, AZ

Turnbuckle Trail Marker Post, AZ

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