Two men have been caught on camera pulling down boulders on a popular hiking trail at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. A visitor spotted the pair vandalizing rock formations on the Redstone Dune Trail last weekend, almost slipping while a young girl (the daughter of one of them) screamed for them to be careful.
The video, which you can see below, was sent to the National Park Service for investigation. If you were on the trail at the time and saw anything suspicious, you can report it by calling 702-293-8906 from 8am to 4pm MST Monday to Friday, or using the email form on Lake Mead's website.
The video was shared via Instagram accounts TouronsOfYellowstone and TouronsOfNationalParks, the owner of which reminded viewers that people don't always feel comfortable confronting people committing vandalism, and reporting them to the authorities instead avoids a confrontation.
The characteristic red rocks at Lake Mead are ancient sand dunes that formed millions of years ago, and have since turned to sandstone. The rock is gradually eroding naturally, but vandalism like this accelerates the process, can cause dangerous rockfalls, damages the ecosystem, and spoils the landscape for other visitors.
In 2009 the NPS announced it was increasing police patrols to crack down on illegal off-road driving and vandalism at Lake Mead, including flytipping, target shooting, and lighting bonfires, but officials have noticed a fresh increase in dangerous and antisocial behavior in recent years.
“We have seen increasing trends of unsafe and unlawful activity over the past few years that is not just limited to DUI incidents,” John Haynes, a spokesperson for the NPS, told the Las Vegas Review Journal last summer.
“Although many factors may be contributing to this trend, we have also seen increasing numbers of visitors to the park over the same period. We have been engaging all summer with the public to remind visitors to keep safety and considerate behavior in the forefront when at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.”
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