Any time there is an article about Red Rock Canyon or any other natural wonder, most tour operators are excited. That wasn't the case two weeks ago when the New York Times wrote an article about the growing graffiti problem inside the park.

The graffiti was discovered by a hiker. Letters, spray painted as large as two feet tall, didn't only damage the sandstone but also covered American Indian pictographs that could be more than 1,000 years old. The pictographs have become better known because they are closer to a popular hiking trail and GPS tools have made finding them even easier.

“This is the most extensive damage we’ve ever seen,” Mark Boatwright, an archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management, which runs the National Conservation Area, told the New York Times. “We know somebody really went out of their way to make this mess and stayed here doing it for quite a while.”

According to some articles, gangs may be using out-of-the-way places for initiations in Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. Tourguy.com sees the problem as twofold.

"Sometimes it's a double-edge sword," says James Hoke, president of TourGuy.com, LLC. "Every time the Bureau of Land Management expands recreation permits it gives more people the opportunity to see the parks, but such expansions also raise the question of overuse."

Sometimes, Hoke believes, that the parks were better protected before the government began adding recreational amenities that attract increased visitors. One difference, he points to, is the increasingly different experiences the various parks offer.

"We might look at this as one of the primary differences from visiting the West Rim and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon," says Hoke. "I love the South Rim and think people ought to see it at least once in their lifetime, but the West Rim, which is preserved by the Hualapai people, retains its natural beauty. It's as timeless today as it was the first time I visited 20 years ago, well before the Skywalk."

Hoke points out that because of the Hualapai people, his tour operators can offer more extensive views of the Grand Canyon, extremely remote Grand Canyon locations, and remarkable adventure tours. However, at the same time, with the tours often lead by native guides or in partnership with the Hualapai, everyone respects the land.

"Red Rock Canyon is the same way," says Hoke. "We provide horseback riding tours that create a remarkably authentic Wild West experience while going to great lengths to preserve the natural beauty of the area."

Hoke says he has personally seen the site referenced in the New York Times article before the pictographs were destroyed. He says there are dozens of unprotected pictographs in Southern Nevada, many of which tour operators work very hard to keep secret.

"Most of our operators are even more careful than they were before because of GPS technology," said Hoke. "It used to be you could take some people out because it would almost be impossible for them to find these sacred sites again. Now, people can bookmark the sites with their cell phones, giving everyone they know the exact location. So, some of our operators are being even more selective in what they share with whom."

TourGuy.com is the fastest-growing tour operator in Las Vegas. It was founded last year by Hoke, who has almost 20 years of experience in hospitality management and eco/adventure tourism. The company has taken the most responsible approach to the professionally guided tours it offers by supporting Earth Day, daily.