Volunteers representing the local climbing community spent a recent afternoon in Snow Canyon State Park removing spray-painted graffiti from a technical hiking and climbing route known as Island in the Sky.

After a rugged ascent of more than 500 hundred feet, the group used rocks, sand, and abrasive sponges to scrape off dozens of silver arrows painted on the surrounding sandstone surfaces.

“We are lucky to have the assistance of such a skilled and willing group,” commented Snow Canyon State Park Manager Kristen Comella. “Given the challenging nature of this route, this is not something that park staff or the general public would be able to accomplish. Their dedication in removing this graffiti and improving the recreation experience for other visitors is invaluable.”

This is only one of several acts of vandalism that the park has dealt with over the past few months. Other volunteer groups have recently worked to remove candle wax and graffiti from the Scout Cave area of the park, as well as graffiti and glow-sticks from inside the park’s lava tubes.

“We encourage all park visitors to travel lightly and leave things as they find them,” stated Comella. “Snow Canyon hosts more than 340,000 visitors annually. All users should strive to reduce impacts on the environment as well as the experiences of other visitors.”

Image courtesy Utah DNR