HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Garland County officials are now sounding the alarm in regards to recent vandalism in the oldest park in all of the National Park Service.
Visitors are quite literally leaving their mark at Hot Springs National Park, leading the park service to issue a statement on social media asking for the public's help to stop it.
The view is what draws people into Hot Springs from all over the country, but when you come across graffiti, it can take away from the beauty.
"I think it's sad that people feel like they have got to do that and it kind of ruins it for everybody else ... especially since the signs are pretty obvious [that] you're not supposed to do that. So I think it's just sad," said Hot Springs visitor, Chris Moellenkamp.
Officials with Hot Springs National Park said that the recent acts of vandalism definitely aren't going unnoticed.
"We probably send out teams about six times a year, so that's with a fair amount of frequency. We also have volunteer groups that are contributing hundreds of hours a year to the cleanup," said Cane West, Hot Springs National Park Education Coordinator.
West said that these cleanup efforts are not only time-extensive, but it's also pretty costly.
Thousands of dollars go towards the cleanup, and that includes taxpayer dollars.
"People don't always see the amount of work and the amount of effort, the amount of labor and the amount of money that goes into work like this," West said.
That's why they encourage people to stop. They're also encouraging those who see something to say something.
"Every piece of graffiti just invites more graffiti, and it actually worsens the problem," West said. "People can always report to the Fordyce visitor center downtown, and that's a place where a lot of our local visitors will call us, or they'll come in and mention and they'll leave written descriptions and location information."
At the end of the day, officials said that the vandalism is a crime and can come with some steep consequences like prison time and or a $5,000 fine.
"We're generally extremely proud of how this park looks, and that is a testament, again to the people who work here and the community members who cherish this place," West said. "Every once in a while, we also need to add PSAs that say, 'Hey guys, you realize that you come here to find this beauty because people have put in the work. Don't make it harder for them to do that."
Unfortunately, that's not the only vandalism happening in the area.
Just this week, the city has temporarily closed the Velocity Park restrooms and Adair Park for repairs.
If you see anything suspicious, you're encouraged to call Hot Springs police.