- Arches National Park investigates vandalism near Landscape Arch.
- A visitor told Outside magazine that she came across graffiti and litter on sandstone formations.
- Other vandalism incidents have been reported at national parks since the federal shutdown began on Oct. 1.
MOAB — National Park Service officials say they're investigating a case of land vandalism at Arches National Park, after photos of graffiti on some of the park's iconic sandstone formations emerged online last week.
Park Service officials said the vandalism occurred near Landscape Arch in the Devils Garden area of the park. The agency declined to offer any other details about the case, but Allyson Mathis, a former Park Service employee, told Outside magazine that she came across graffiti while visiting the area on Wednesday.
A person or group used spray paint to deface a few different rock formations with symbols, handprints and acronyms.
"It was everywhere," she told the outlet on Friday. "It was heartbreaking and upsetting, but unfortunately not surprising."
She also reported photos of litter to the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks. At least one visitor was seen taking a dog on the trails, which is against park rules, the National Parks Traveler reported on Thursday.
Most national parks have been closed since the federal shutdown began on Oct. 1, but Utah set aside funds to keep its parks open with some resources. The Utah State Historic Preservation Office announced shortly thereafter that it planned to have participants of its Utah Cultural Site Stewards program "strategically positioned" across some of the state's more vulnerable public lands in case of graffiti or land vandalism during the shutdown.
Still, Utah is home to approximately 35 million acres of federal land, as noted by the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, making it difficult to track everything. That's why the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks took to social media to address the recent vandalism at Arches National Park, urging the federal government to close access to national parks until the federal shutdown ends.
"This kind of vandalism scars irreplaceable landscapes and disrespects the places meant to inspire and unite us all, "the organization wrote on a social media post Sunday. "With most park staff still furloughed during the government shutdown, these incidents highlight the urgent need for full staffing and protection across our parks."
While the shutdown appears to be nearing its end, other incidents of illegal activity have been reported at other national parks across the country over the past month. That includes a stone wall that was toppled over within the historic Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg Foundation reported last month.
