The Bureau of Land Management is investigating multiple incidents of “irreparable” vandalism at six Native American rock art sites in the Bighorn Basin.
The BLM's Cody Field Office reports there was significant damage to multiple rock panels containing petroglyphs created by Wyoming's indigenous tribes. Many of the panels have been defaced with names carved into them, including “Erin,” and phrases scratched into the rock containing the ancient images.
A bonfire had been burning directly underneath one of the panels, which cracked and discolored the surface. Also, the BLM Cody Field Office said several panels were damaged by what appears to be gunfire.
“This intentional damage takes away future generations’ ability to view this part of our human history and to study these sites,” said Cody Field Office Archeologist Karina Black in a statement about the vandalism.
The BLM hasn’t released many additional details on the vandalism, but believes the illegal acts were “recent.”
Damaging petroglyphs and rock art sites can result in criminal charges, including felonies, and violations can be pursued through civil action as well.
Cowboy State Daily was unable to reach the BLM Cody Field Office at the time of publication.
A Persistent Problem
According to an assessment by the Wyoming Cultural Records Office, at least 157 of Wyoming's 666 known petroglyph sites — more than a quarter of what’s known — have been vandalized.
Bonnie Smith, president of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists, was distraught when she learned of the extent of the damage to the sites in the Bighorn Basin.
“The rock art of Wyoming is not just images on stone,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “It is a conversation across generations. Once damaged, that conversation is silenced forever.”
Finding and prosecuting those responsible for rock art vandalism is difficult for the BLM, which is often unable to conduct extensive investigations due to a lack of staffing and funding.
In October 2025, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department offered a $10,000 reward for information on whoever vandalized and looted an important archaeological site near Dubois.
“If we can figure out who did this, we can start looking to get back what was taken,” Jason Hunter, regional wildlife supervisor for Wyoming Game and Fish’s Lander office, told Cowboy State Daily. “Right now, we’re looking for people who might have information, and we’ll go from there.”
There have been no public updates on whether any culprits have been identified and charged. That’s a common outcome for these incidents.
"People get away with this all the time,” Smith said. “We’ve been getting better about vandalism in Wyoming, (and) we want to believe that it's getting better, which makes these incidents unfortunate."
The BLM Cody Field Office hasn’t disclosed where the six sites are located in the Bighorn Basin.
After reviewing the photos, Smith thought they might be in Park County’s Oregon Basin east of Cody, where there are many known petroglyph sites. That makes the irreparable damage all the more egregious.
“The petroglyphs and pictographs of the Bighorn Basin are some of the oldest voices we have in the state,” Smith said. “As archaeologists, we recognize that rock art is more than a cultural resource.
"It is a direct connection to the people who shaped the history of the Bighorn Basin.”
Crime And Punishment
When someone is identified and found guilty of vandalizing rock art, the penalties can be severe.
In November 2024, Daniela Ganassim Ericksen was arrested on felony charges for damaging the Buckskin Gulch Petroglyphs east of Kanab, Utah. She caused around $7,000 of damage by carving several figures into one of the panels.
A year later, she was sentenced to 12 months of probation and $14,853.36 in restitution.
She was also barred from entering all BLM lands and had to send a letter of apology to the indigenous tribes with a cultural association to the Buckskin Gulch Petroglyphs.
Smith and many other archaeologists celebrated the conviction, hoping it would send a strong message to other potential offenders.
“In my professional opinion, I think it's pretty fantastic that she was prosecuted at all," Smith said. "People who have been caught vandalizing petroglyphs usually get a slap on the wrist at best.”
However, there’s no way to undo the damage that’s been done,” Smith said. No amount of money or probation can restore these irreplaceable relics of human history.
“These rock art panels have survived millennia,” Smith said. “They shouldn’t have to survive us.”
The BLM Cody Field Office is encouraging anyone with information about the six rock art sites vandalized in the Bighorn Basin to contact the field office at 307-578-5900 or reach out to local law enforcement.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
