Three natural American wonders ruined by vandals, climbers and free-pooping hikers could take centuries to heal

America’s natural wonders are nearly unrivaled in their splendor — but the tourists who flock to them sure have a strange way of showing their appreciation.Several famous national parks, forests and monuments have wrestled with unruly visitors who ignore their carefully-curated rules — which are meant to keep safe the plants and animals that live and wander within.And the damage inflicted by these unwittingly brutish guests can have impacts for centuries.

Here are three examples of American treasures that have felt the effects of careless sightseers.This California wonder is an enchanting park that sits at the confluence of two very different desert ecosystems: the Mojave and the Colorado.

“A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain,” the National Park Service says of Joshua Tree on its website.“Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California.

Come explore for yourself!”Unfortunately, a few too many people explored for themselves during the 2019 government shutdown — and left graffiti, ruined trails and wrecked Joshua trees in their wake, according to The Guardian.“What’s happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years,” former park superintendent Curt Sauer told the outlet at the time.

“There are about a dozen instances of extensive vehicle traffic off roads and, in some cases, into wilderness,” said David Smith, the park’s superintendent at the time.“We have two new roads that were created inside the park.

We had destruction of government property with the cutting of chains and locks for people to access campgrounds.”“We’ve never seen this level of out-of-bounds camping,” he continued.“Joshua trees were actually cut down in order to make new roads.”The destruction could take centuries to heal.

California’s...