USA: Joshua Tree National Park Closes Because Of Thefts

A pair of secluded mines in Joshua Tree National Park are closed until further notice while park officials determine the number of artifacts that have been stolen in recent months and what should be done to prevent future thefts.

The closures kicked in Monday for Carey's Castle and El Sid Mine, which attracted gold seekers in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

Carey's Castle is near the Eagle Mountains and El Sid Mine is by the Coxcomb Mountains. Both are in deep areas of the park and the closures should not affect the average park visitor, spokesman George Land said.

"It's not a place for weekenders," he said. "Generally, more experienced and more avid hikers would go to there."

Artifacts have been disappearing for at least two months. Land wouldn't specify what was taken, and he described the stolen property as man-made items with cultural significance.

"It doesn't serve our purpose to let these wrongdoers know what's actually out there," he said.

"We will look to reopen both sites when we're confident that we have the tools in place to effectively monitor the areas and prevent any further losses," ​park Superintendent David Smith said in a statement.

Officials want to educate visitors on the park's history and discourage them from taking or defacing property.

The park is nearly 800,000 acres and protects 501 archeological sites, 88 historic structures and 19 cultural landscapes, according to its website.

More than 2 million people visited the park in 2015, up from 1.6 million in 2014, and Land stressed that a very small minority of visitors is responsible for the thefts.

"Unfortunately, there is that element that feels like if they find any type of cultural artifact or anything on the site, they feel they should take it home with them,” Land said.

Park officials already have a history of problems with graffiti. Often, people scrawl their names and other messages onto rocks across the park.

In late 2014, officials teamed with the University of New Mexico and the University of Vermont to remove graffiti. The effort focused heavily on Barker Dam, which was built more than 100 years ago for cattle and mining.