Published March 12, 2026 04:07PM
Visitors Carve Names Into Cliffs, Steal 100 Pounds of Rocks at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore—Now They’re Banned
After carving names into Michigan's iconic cliffs and taking 100 pounds of rocks, a group of visitors are now banished from the sandstone lakeshore for a year.
The group were charged a $100 fine and banned from Pictured Rocks for one year (Photo: Getty Images)
A news story from Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has officials and journalists alike wondering the same question: Why would anybody try to steal 100 pounds of rocks from a National Park Service (NPS) site?
That’s what officials say happened on July 25, 2025, when NPS rangers came across multiple boats along the cliffs that make up Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, an hour east of Marquette. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Michigan, four people on the boats had carved letters into the cliff faces and had also taken over 100 pounds of rocks from shore to take home.
It’s a risk that could land someone up to six months in jail, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey said in a March 11 news statement.
The culprits, however, have gotten off with a less severe punishment. They were each ordered to pay a $500 fine and now face a one-year ban from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The judge also hefted an additional $250 fine to one person’s charge for taking rocks.
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Sitting along Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is managed by the NPS. With ten inland beaches and nearly 100 miles of trails, the area is also famous for more than 42 miles of colorful, 200-foot-tall sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and sandy beaches.
“Pictured Rocks is one of Michigan’s iconic natural wonders. There is no other place like it, and we will not get another one. Everyone is welcome to see and enjoy this beautiful place, but no one is allowed to inflict damage on it,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey said in a statement. “Anyone who does will be punished: these four people were lucky to get off with a fine and banishment because the judge could have given each of them six months in jail.”
It’s the latest in a string of damage seen across NPS sites. Last fall, vandals left graffiti near an iconic landmark in Arches National Park, and earlier this year, another group spray-painted boulders in Yosemite National Park.
Vandalizing surfaces at more than 400 NPS sites can be a federal misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in prison and fines of up to $5,000.
“I would like to remind all park visitors that as we spend time outdoors, it’s important to be conscious of our actions. It takes all of us to protect this wonderful place,” Pictured Rocks Chief Ranger Joseph Hughes said in a statement.
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The NPS asks visitors to report suspicious activity by contacting NPS staff online, over the phone, or in person.
