ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Petroglyph National Monument is closing off a portion of the Mesa Point Trail and the mesa top area within Boca Negra Canyon later this month.

According to park rangers, people at Mesa Point Trail have been moving rocks and even scratching at the petroglyphs – damaging the historic monument.

Petroglyph National Monument Superintendent Nancy Hendricks says this has been a trend. She said people take some of the smaller rocks and put them in the middle to form letters or symbols. By doing this, they’re disrupting an archaeological resource and it could potentially ruin other archeological discoveries.

Visitors are also taking rocks to scratch at the petroglyphs and other rocks along the trail, ruining pieces of history that have been there for hundreds of years. Hendricks said they had to close the area to preserve it. She believes the closure won’t impact the experience for hikers.

“I really think that this small minor closure is not going to detract from the visitor experience at Boca Negra at all,” Hendricks said. “You’ll still be able to see the beautiful views of Albuquerque, the Rio Grande the Sandia Mountains, you’ll be able to see the beautiful views of the volcano and explore the petroglyphs that are across the landscape and Boca Negra Canyon. And we just hope that the public can respect and honor this place. It is sacred to 29 tribes and pueblos across the region.”

The uppermost portion of Mesa Point Trail will be closed starting April 29. They predict it will stay closed for a long time.