The Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico. Photo by Samat Jain via Flickr

The Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico has become a magnet for vandals, trash and illegal off-road vehicles.

People have been spray painting on the ancient rock art at the monument, located in Albuquerque. In addition to trash all over the place, there's evidence of illegal campfires and repeated trespassing.

“We were walking through the canyon and came across debris, motorcycle tracks and graffiti,” Dennis Vásquez, the new superintendent of the monument, told The Albuquerque Journal. “I was troubled, disappointed.”

The monument is jointly managed by the National Park Service and the city of Albuquerque. According to the Journal, the trashed section is owned and managed by the city.

The city said it replaced a fence that had been damaged. A city road runs directly through the monument.

Get the Story:
Monument marred by vandalism, trash (The Albuquerque Journal 2/11)
Vandals spray graffiti at park protecting ancient Indian art (AP 2/11)
The petroglyphs a hot spot for vandals (KRQE 2/9)
Petroglyphs National Monument vandalized over the weekend (KOB 2/9)