Rant: The petroglyph site near Moab that tourists are slowly ruining

I drove out to that spot off Highway 191 last weekend, the one with the big boulder full of ancient carvings. Took me about 20 minutes to hike in, and when I got there, some kid was literally putting his hand all over a 1,000 year old rock art panel. There's no fence, no sign saying don't touch, just a dirt path. I get that it's public land, but shouldn't the BLM at least put up a basic rope barrier or a warning sign? Has anyone else seen a site like this that's getting wrecked because nobody's watching it?

4 comments

4 Comments

anthony_jackson312mo ago

Why do people always have to ruin cool stuff by not having any common sense?

wade_anderson2mo ago

Isn't it just heartbreaking seeing that kind of thing happen with no one around to stop it?

milesbarnes1mo ago

Beckons me to trips in the middle of nowhere where I'm the least useful person around. Last fall I drove past a guy changing a tire on the side of a gravel road and I had to stop because no one else was coming. I got out to help and my only real contribution was holding the flashlight while my phone had absolutely no signal. Couldn't call anyone, couldn't even offer him a water because all I had was a half empty gas station coffee. That moment of just standing there with a flashlight while someone else is dealing with a real problem really drives home how much time I've wasted watching YouTube videos about being prepared.

hannah_craig2mo ago

Watching something terrible unfold and realizing you're the only person for miles is just gut wrenching. I had that exact feeling last summer when I stumbled upon a overturned truck on a back road with the driver still trapped inside. Nobody else was around for at least 15 minutes either direction, just me and this poor guy who was clearly in pain. The helplessness is what gets you, knowing you can't do much beyond calling for help and trying to keep them calm. It sticks with you long after the ambulance leaves, that hollow feeling of being completely alone with someone's worst moment.