The "Minimum Impact" Approach
for Enjoying Archaeological Sites

Today, the largest threat to cultural resources is unintentional damage caused by visitors. Many archaeology sites are scattered across the desert landscape. Although they have been present for thousands of years, they are not indestructible. Time and effects of nature are slowly erasing these precious traces of our past.

The impacts of man accelerate this natural decay. When visiting archaeological and historical sites, please use minimum impact techniques. Keep in mind that not entering a site and viewing it from a distance will reduce the impact a site receives. You may say, it's just a couple of us and it's just this time, but there may be thousands of visitors saying the same thing.

If you do enter a site, you should first STOP, LOOK, and THINK. Many sites have fragile artifacts lying just beneath the surface. Try to visually identify each part of a site so you can avoid walking on it. If a trail has been made across a site, stay on it.

Random foot traffic can accelerate soil erosion. This is the most severe type of impact caused by continual visits to a site. Cultural sites are often places very important to Native Americans and should be treated with respect. When you find the ground littered with pot sherds, flakes, or other artifacts, leave them. If each visitor took just one souvenir, there would soon be nothing left.

Remember, cabins and can dumps are archaeology too. The desert is dotted with the remains of old mining cabins, stage stops, and homesteads. The preservation of historic and prehistoric sites is equally important. The more time you spend within a site, the greater the chance for serious impacts to occur. Archaeological sites should not be used as picnic areas or camp sites.

Archaeological sites are protected by law. If you discover any illegal activity, please notify your local BLM office.