A hiker posted some concerning pictures of graffiti along a beloved trailhead in Arizona.
The snaps taken during a nighttime stroll and posted on the r/Tucson subreddit show rocks on the Tanque Verde Trail tagged with some frankly shoddy graffiti. One commenter pointed out the "overall a** quality leads me to believe they are not actually taggers, just d****."
Located due east of Tucson, the Tanque Verde Falls area is popular with hikers enthralled by the natural beauty of the rock formations. Waiting at the end of the 1.8-mile trail is a stunning 80-foot waterfall. It's a place to enjoy some of the best desert scenery the state has to offer, but those views are spoiled by the antisocial behavior of the vandals.
It's not just an eyesore for visitors; graffiti destroys the park's natural heritage and wastes the time and resources of park staff. Littering is another scourge all too common across parks and trails. Every piece of vandalism has to be removed by staff who could be engaged in more productive work, often at great expense.
For example, Blue Ridge Parkway pointed out that replacing stolen or vandalized wooden signs costs the park $750, and removing graffiti from concrete costs $450 in labor and resources. Even sites of great historical significance aren't safe from the scourge of vandalism.
National parks provide a great way to reconnect with nature, and it's our collective responsibility to show due respect for those valuable green spaces. As the National Park Service puts it, visitors should "leave no trace." That means leaving the rock formations untouched, disposing of waste properly, and keeping an appropriate distance from the wildlife.
The commenters were naturally outraged by the pictures. One hyperbolically suggested: "Deploy the tactical bears."
"Hopefully it can be cleared off. What a waste," said another.
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