Vandalism of wilderness signs

All the trail signs in Humboldt Redwoods State Park were destroyed by what looked like bullets a few years back. Uncool

Found a sign turned the wrong way at a trail junction a couple of weeks ago Also uncool.

Seems like some people have always been doing lame stuff like this.

Booby traps on the trail, removed signage, bikes on footpaths, horses on footpaths, etc…

Doesn't strike me as anything new. Any sign not under easy surveillance by neighbors or law enforcement has been a target for yahoos for as long as I can remember.

Booby traps are new, though. I think.

I'd agree with Ken in the US, there's always been shooting up rural signs. I would lay the blame on that segment of the population that displays the "wilderness – land of no use" bumper sticker or agrees with it.

The wilderness hiking groups I've hiked with (or leaders of said groups if hiking duo)!have actually tried to piece together shattered signs in the correct directions.

Without signage an ATV or 4-wheeler (rally in euro terms) could claim they didn't know about the wilderness boundary (though those inclined to make a statement against protected areas blow past signs anyways).

I enjoy target shooting outdoors; a couple hours at a gravel pit can be lots of fun. But opportunities to do so are constantly being eroded by ***holes who are incapable of considering the consequences of their actions. I had to use a trailhead restroom this weekend that had no less than 50 bullet holes in it, one right through the door lock. It is so frustrating. Not surprising that gates keep popping up.

Yosemite uses heavy gauge steel signs in the back country. Impossible to vandalize…and way too heavy to carry out. I'd always assumed that they did this to keep people from stealing the signs they like the most, or that mark the trail to their favorite "secret' spot

It works

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SS_-O9p3P-w/SpFNUa2zlvI/AAAAAAAAJLo/HF5iN9V0Yn8/s640/DSCF3626.JPG.

Earlier this month, I saw a couple of examples of signs.

This one shows a trail sign typically found in national parks. Notice that it is all metal and is very easily readable. It's probably expensive.

This second sign shows the metal of the national park along with the (broken) wood of the national forest. This is at Baxter Pass on the boundary between Kings Canyon and Inyo N.F.

–B.G.–