HURRICANE, Utah- Preparations for a major clean up are underway at Sand Hollow State Park, and rangers say trash and graffiti around one popular area is worse than ever.
Park managers will close access to the “jumping rocks” this weekend in order to clean trash and remove defacing on the rocks. Assistant Park Manager Darren Tucker said they’ve done clean ups before in this area, and there’s no clear reason for the increase.
“What’s scary and a little sad is that the trash that’s not there has most likely been thrown into the water or been blown into the water,” Tucker said.
The graffiti will be removed by sanding out the rocks, and local juvenile detention centers have volunteered groups to pick up the trash. Tuckers said they hope the message goes beyond those groups.
“This is the state park, but it’s the public’s land,” Tucker said. “We just would like to see them all be productive and pitch in to clean up.”
It’s a message visitor Jolene Krahenbuhl has taken to heart. She said it's disheartening to see the trash and graffiti on the red rocks.
“Why would you carve into these beautiful rocks your initials?” said Krahenbuhl. “Are you two years old?”
Signs are posted telling people to keep the rocks clean, and also warning against graffiti. Park rangers say they are things people can get fines for. It’s something that’s a little harder to enforce, but something they take very seriously.
“The prosecutors office is behind us 100 percent on enforcing that,” Tucker said.
The climbing rocks will be closed Friday morning through Sunday evening.
