• Outdoors Outdoors

Tourist encounters alarming trend in national parks: 'That right there can be considered a felony'

"They take stuff like this seriously."

"They take stuff like this seriously."

Photo Credit: iStock

Ancient rock carvings, known as petroglyphs, provide unique insights into the spiritual beliefs, traditions, and daily lives of Indigenous cultures. They stand in stark contrast to modern rock defacement due to the cultural context, the creator's intent, and the image's purpose. 

A disturbing example of the latter surfaced on Reddit, depicting people's initials needlessly carved into the rock face in a stunning natural area. 

Photo Credit: Reddit

"So sad to see this garbage," the OP wrote in the caption

Carving into rocks this way damages delicate natural features that have existed for generations. Our planet's beautiful places serve as sanctuaries, where people can respect and appreciate the natural world while coexisting with wildlife. 

When you carve your initials or other words or images into rocks, it may require park officials to expend time and resources on costly and time-consuming restoration efforts. It is a privilege for us to experience these natural wonders, and our responsibility is to preserve their integrity so that future generations can continue to learn from and be inspired by them. 

Now is the time to embrace all aspects of low-impact travel, including rethinking the pollution generated by your transportation and conserving natural resources wherever you go.

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Unfortunately, disheartening scenes like the one in the OP's post have become common in national parks and other outdoor destinations. Fortunately, an increasing number of concerned citizens are calling out tourists for their environmentally damaging behaviors. 

If you notice rock defacement in parks or on trails you visit, report the vandalism to park rangers to help preserve these spaces. Use your discretion and keep safety in mind, but you can also take photos of tourists breaking park rules and the damage they cause as evidence when reporting an incident. 

Fellow Reddit users were disappointed to see the OP's photo showing the rock defacement and shared their feedback in the comments. 

"That right there can be considered a felony if it's in a national park," one Redditor wrote. "They take stuff like this seriously." 

"This makes me so angry," another user shared

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