Visitors Caught Defacing Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Property Fined $500 and Banished for One Year

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that four visitors to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were fined and banished from the park for one year after engaging in acts of vandalism there.

On July 25, 2025, while on a routine marine patrol, United States Park Rangers contacted multiple vessels along the cliffs making up the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The occupants of these vessels had been carving large letters into the cliff faces and had collected over 100 pounds of rocks with the intent to take them home.

Park rangers cited the Illinois visitors for defacing and collecting park resources. On December 9, 2025, the defendants were ordered to appear in U.S. District Court in Marquette for a mandatory appearance on the violations. Each of the four was ordered to pay a $500 fine and received a one-year ban from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. One of the four was ordered to pay an additional $250 fine for taking the rocks.

U.S. Attorney VerHey said, "Pictured Rocks is one of Michigan's iconic natural wonders. There is no other place like it, and we will not get another one. Everyone is welcome to see and enjoy this beautiful place, but no one is allowed to inflict damage on it. Anyone who does will be punished: these four people were lucky to get off with a fine and banishment because the judge could have given each of them six months in jail. I applaud the Park Rangers for putting a stop to this vandalism."

"This case is a great example of how our Park Rangers use proactive marine patrols to investigate criminal violations and protect park resources." said Pictured Rocks Chief Ranger Joseph Hughes, "I would like to remind all park visitors that as we spend time outdoors, it's important to be conscious of our actions. It takes all of us to protect this wonderful place."

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore spans over 42 miles of Lake Superior coastline, including towering sandstone cliffs, deep forests, pristine wetlands and over 100 miles of trails.