Shocking vandals destroy protected and delicate natural rock formations in Nevada national park

Visitors to a popular rock site at Lake Mead National Park are being tracked by federal authorities after severely damaging a formation at the Nevada hiking trail.

Officials say the damage happened last weekend on the north side of the lake, where petrified red dunes make it one of the busiest areas in the park.

A video taken by a witness to the event shows two men working hard to push large chunks of loose rock off the edge of a curb.

The video was sent to the National Park Service.

A little girl, the daughter of one of the men, stands behind them, horrified and screaming at intervals as the stones fall.

‘Dad, don’t fall,’ she shouts as the two men work to push bolder parts over the edge and watch them break as they smash down the cliff.

Officials have called the behavior extremely harmful, noting that the old stones cannot be repaired.

John Haynes, a public information officer for the park, said KVVU: ‘It’s one of my favorite places in the park and they’re up there ruining it. I do not understand”.

‘Why would you even do such a thing? Like, why on earth would you do this? This almost feels like a personal attack in a way,” he added.

Destruction of this degree and quality at federally protected sites can result in felony charges that can result in fines and prison terms.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located just outside of Las Vegas, sees about 6 million visitors each year.

Park staff cannot be physically present throughout the 2,344 square kilometer area, which means they sometimes rely on the public to keep an eye on some of the sites in the park.

‘That’s 1.5 million acres. We have two great lakes, part of the Colorado River. It’s going to be pretty difficult based on our staffing levels to be everywhere at once,” Haynes said.

The National Park Service operates a tip line that receives thousands of calls each year.

Park staff cannot be physically present throughout the 2,344 square kilometer area, meaning they sometimes rely on the public to keep an eye on some of the sites in the park

The men can risk fines and prison terms because of their destructive behavior

Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located just outside of Las Vegas, sees about 6 million visitors each year

Visitors are encouraged to use their cell phones, if it is safe to do so, to record what they see and to collect information – such as license plate numbers – that can help officers identify offenders.

‘You don’t need to engage people. A lot of people don’t feel comfortable engaging others out there and that’s okay. It’s really important to let us know, Haynes said.

Years ago, two Boy Scout leaders who toppled ancient rock in Utah were charged with felonies and forced to pay restitution after their damaging altercation was caught on camera.