Prehistoric footprints on private land near High Point Trail at Black Mesa are no longer viewable to hikers and dinosaur enthusiasts. A spokesperson for the tourism and recreation department said there are currently no plans to reopen the site.
Visitors walking past the dinosaur site, riding dirt bikes on the private land and other incidents caused the owner to close it indefinitely.
The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced the closure on Friday, Nov. 21, directing prospective visitors to other parts of the Black Mesa State Park and Nature Preserve.
"Off the top, we'd like to thank the landowner for generously allowing so many guests through the years to take in this awe-inspiring site," the department's press release reads. "Unfortunately, to protect the integrity of this significant paleontological resource, he has made the tough call to close it off to the public."
"Please respect these boundaries and stay off this private land."
Jane Apple, owner of nearby Hitching Post Lodging and Ranch in Kenton, said trespassing is also a problem for her family-owned land.
The dinosaur site had likely been open around 30 or 40 years, she said, but the owners reported multiple trespassing incidents.
The dinosaur tracks are in a dry gully, though most of the prints have been covered by sediment erosion, according to the spokesperson. The department is directing visitors to view the tracks on its public land or drive about an hour west to Clayton Lake State Park and Dinosaur Trackways in New Mexico.
The plateau in the nature preserve is the highest point in Oklahoma. About 1,600 acres are public land.
The preserve is home to wildlife like the golden eagle, black bear and bighorn sheep. Visitors also come for stargazing beneath the region's dark skies.
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