Two men were filmed knocking down rocks on a popular hiking trail in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. A visitor spotted the couple vandalizing rock formations on the Redstone Dunes Trail last weekend, almost slipping while a young girl (the daughter of one of them) yelled at 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 something suspicious, you can report it by calling 702-293-8906 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST Monday through Friday, or by using the electronic form on the site Lake Mead Web.
The video was shared via the Instagram accounts TouronsOfYellowstone and TouronsOfNationalParks, whose owner reminded viewers that people don’t always feel comfortable dealing with people who commit acts of vandalism and that reporting them to authorities instead prevents a confrontation.
Lake Mead’s distinctive red rocks are ancient sand dunes that formed millions of years ago and have since transformed into sandstone. The rock erodes gradually and naturally, but such vandalism speeds up the process, can cause dangerous rockfalls, damage the ecosystem and spoil the landscape for other visitors.
In 2009, the NPS announced it was increasing police patrols to combat illegal off-roading and vandalism in Lake Mead, including flytipping, target shooting, and lighting bonfires, but authorities have noticed a further increase in dangerous and antisocial behavior in recent years. .
“We have seen a growing trend of dangerous and illegal activities over the past several years, not limited to drunk driving incidents,” NPS spokesperson John Haynes told the Las Vegas Review Journal last summer.
“While many factors may be contributing to this trend, we have also seen an increase in the number of visitors to the park over the same period. We have been working with the public all summer to remind visitors to keep safety and considerate behavior top of mind while in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
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