Two charged with stealing from Canyonlands’ Cave Spring Cowboy Camp
Nov 5, 2024, 4:00 PM
FILE: White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. (Ravell Call/ Deseret News)
(Ravell Call/ Deseret News)
MOAB, Utah — Two Colorado residents are facing federal misdemeanor charges after allegedly damaging part of the Cave Spring Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park.
Court documents accused 39-year-old Roxanne McKnight and 43-year-old Dusty Spencer of stealing government property, trespassing, and disrupting an archaeological or cultural site.
Both defendants are from Durango, Colorado.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office said that McKnight and Spencer entered a fenced-off area. Signs clearly told visitors to stay out of the area.
They have been charged with three counts of Class A Misdemeanors.
The defendants allegedly stole “numerous items” displayed within Canyonlands National Park. Court documents only specified antique nails.
Cave Spring Cowboy Camp
According to the National Park Service, cowboys lived in outdoor camps, like the display inside Canyonlands. They usually worked for weeks or months at a time, watching cattle and driving them to food and water. The area was used as a winter pasture for about 100 years.
The camps remained in use until about 1975 when cattle ranching inside Canyonlands National Park ended.
The Cave Spring Cowboy Camp was established because of its proximity to a reliable source of water.
Nowadays, visitors can view artifacts while hiking along the Cave Spring Trail. The items were left behind by cowboys.
Mariah Maynes is a digital content producer for KSL NewsRadio.
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