Yosemite’s Iconic Bridalveil Falls Area Marred by Recent Vandalism Incident
Recently, outdoor content creator Ando Arakelyan shared disturbing updates from his latest visit to Yosemite National Park. The term "yeti" was scribbled over a large boulder, a door, and a signboard in the Bridalveil Fall area. Arakelyan, who shares updates on the park all year round, shared pictures of the outrageous vandalism on his Instagram stories. "What's wrong with people," he wrote over one of the stories. Out of sheer disappointment and shock, Arakelyan requested a $5,000 fine and 6 months' imprisonment for those who committed the vandalism at the national park and destroyed public property. The post garnered attention from the public and media alike, drawing focus to the often-neglected issue of vandalism. Several people noted how the "yeti" scribblings hadn't been there a few days before, confirming it to be a recent incident.
Others slammed the miscreants for being disrespectful to national parks that are globally recognized landmarks visited by people from around the world. As of today, the National Park Service hasn't revealed suspects of the incident. Any updates on potential cleanup are also awaited, as per Active NorCal. The shameless vandalism must be met with strict retaliation, as this isn't the first time national parks have fallen victim to reckless visitors. Speaking to Outside, Arakelyan revealed that vandalism at Yosemite is not unusual. “I probably see something every couple of months," he said. "It’s not that uncommon anymore to see graffiti in the park, and a lot of trash as well," the content creator added.
Yosemite has made headlines over vandalism and rule-breaking surprisingly often. In 2022, spray-painted graffiti around several spots along Yosemite Falls Trail had stirred controversy and backlash. The word "Fresno," along with the city's area code, "559," was spray-painted on at least 30 different rocks at the site. Although the incident prompted an investigation, it remains unsolved. The national park was especially exploited during the 2025 federal shutdown. Not just vandalism, but illegal BASE jumping became a reckless sport that people sneaked into the park for. This sparked a strict manhunt by the NPS and ended with a few of the individuals getting caught. Rock climbing guide Defne Dilsiz, who works for the guide service Yosemite Mountaineering School, further confirmed that vandalism at Yosemite is quite common. “That exact boulder has been graffiti before,” Dilsiz told the outlet.
Even though Yosemite faced a fair share of exploitation, vandalism isn't exclusive to the park. Reckless miscreants have also entered the gates of Utah's Arches National Park, and its staff has been dealing with the issue almost regularly. In April 2025, the official NPS website posted a lengthy note highlighting how the park's stunning sandstone rocks are being destroyed by vandalism. "Nearly every day, rangers find words or shapes drawn, carved, scratched, or painted on rocks at Arches," it read. "Over one million people visit every year, and many may not know that all graffiti in the park is vandalism—no matter how small or superficially drawn," the website added. The note confirmed that graffiti keeps appearing everywhere around the park: under the arches, over the boulders, and even across ancient petroglyphs.
People might not realize, but vandalism has severe consequences, from hefty fines to serving a brief period in jail. The punishment depends on the extent of destruction and the material used for that. Millions of people visiting national parks must be reminded that these historically and culturally rich landscapes need to be respected and protected.
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