Historic Joshua Tree sites blighted by vandals
By Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times
April 12, 2013, 6:21 p.m.
JOSHUA TREE — Along the saw-toothed ridge of Rattlesnake Canyon, crude graffiti invades the crevices that offered shade to nomadic Indians trekking across the Mojave hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
"Skunk,'' "oatmeal cookie" and "punx" are scribbled in black spray paint on giant, earth-crushing boulders where ancient petroglyphs may have been etched by the Serrano and Chemehuevi.
The damage goes far beyond a few lovey-dovey teenagers carving their initials into picnic tables. Vandalism in Rattlesnake Canyon and at Barker Dam, two of Joshua Tree National Park's most popular hiking spots, has been so pervasive that both sites have been closed to the public.
For visitors who relish the unique isolation of this harsh desert terrain, hiking amid century-old Joshua trees and jagged granite outcroppings thrust through the Earth's crust millions of years ago, the graffiti offers an unwelcome reminder of a city life they sought to escape.
"We come to this place because it's not as touristy as surrounding national parks, and you don't run into as many people. You kind of feel like you're alone. In ancient times. There's nothing like this place," said Butch Wood, 51, a guitar builder visiting from North Aurora, Ill. "You don't like to see the modern world intruding on history. It's a shame.''
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-joshua-tree-graffiti-20130413,0,3668905.story
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We didn't see any signs of vandalism on our trip (except for markings on the upstream side of Barker Dam, which I thought were older), but it was crowded with Spring Break visitors. There was more trash than I like to see in the campgrounds, and noise - we did one of our nights in the back-country, which was a much more peaceful experience.
OT, but something I always miss about Joshua Tree is how years ago, when Barker Dam was full, someone had released a bunch of goldfish that managed to multiply. Maybe it's not environmentally correct, but I loved the surreal sight of those fish swimming around in the desert (it made me understand the red Dwarf theme song better)... 
