"Eventually we're not going to be allowed anywhere. Thanks, guys. Thanks for ruining everything for everyone."
A TikTok user kept it real when it came to the latest example of visitors blatantly ignoring park rules and defacing nature.
@real.adventure.th They carved their names! Do your thing internet #hiking #outdoors #nature #adventure ♬ original sound - real adventure theory
The video begins with the TikToker pointing to a sign stating "it is unlawful to mark or deface rocks." They said they took the video on Sept. 3 at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which they characterized as "basically a national park." Reflecting the park's extreme commitment to preservation, the TikToker claimed "you can't even hike here without a guide."
That makes it extra frustrating to see a "9/1/24" among numerous carvings from the visitors, including their nicknames. That indicates they vandalized rocks just two days before the video was shot.
The TikToker was taken aback by the visitors' lack of self-awareness:
"I understand when they did it in the '50s or the 1890s because they didn't know any better back then, but you're telling me in 2024 people are still coming to national parks and defacing it, ruining stuff?"
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Sadly, there are many additional recent examples of this sort of disregard for nature. Visitors have defaced rocks at Red Rock Canyon, scrawled their names on a 5,000-year-old petroglyph at Big Bend National Park, attempted to break a large rock formation at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and spray-painted their names on rocks at the Grand Canyon.
These actions don't solely ruin the natural beauty of the rocks and frustrate other visitors. They also potentially put park officials in the unfortunate position of cleaning up visitors' messes, like at Joshua Tree National Park. They also could lead to site closures, like at Bandelier National Monument.
Selfishly marking your imprint on nature flies directly in the face of the "leave no trace" principle. As the TikToker noted, in 2024 there is more than enough information out there for visitors to know that irresponsible acts like littering and defacing nature are no longer acceptable.
🗣️ What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home?
🔘 Move somewhere else 🌎
🔘 Reinforce my home 🏠
🔘 Nothing 🤷
🔘 This is happening already 😬
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Fellow users on TikTok shared the creator's indignation.
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"Thank you for addressing this," one commented.
Another user lamented that "we can't have nice things and now all of us are suffering!!"
"I'm seeing more and more off-road trails closed because people are trashing it," a TikToker said while echoing the original poster's concerns as "very true."
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