Vandals drove their vehicles on the Racetrack playa in recent weeks at Death Valley National Park/NPS

There are a few in every national park. While most visitors are courteous and respectful of the parks and their resources, there are always a few who couldn't care less. At Death Valley National Park in California, those few drove their vehicles across both the Racetrack playa and the salt flats of Badwater.

Fortunately, there are also a few good souls out there. Students from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, volunteered on January 11 to head out to Badwater with rakes to erase the tracks left there. While whoever drove onto the Badwater playa left their tracks in only a minute or two, this group of 12 students spent the better part of a day attempting to reverse damage. This is just one example of a problem that many volunteer groups address at Death Valley every year. Without their efforts, visitors would see vistas spoiled by tracks in many more areas.

The famous Racetrack playa was among the areas damaged during the 2016 year-end holidays, park officials say. This is a problem that builds on itself, since once tracks are established, others drivers tend to follow.

Off-road driving at the Racetrack is particularly aggravating to those who appreciate Death Valley. This remote dry lake bed was named in the early days of the park both for its shape, and for the mysterious tracks that are left by rocks sliding across the surface under specific weather conditions. While only a few have driven onto the Racetrack lake bed, the tracks they left are spoiling the view for many.

If you've never had the good fortune to visit the Racetrack, here's a short video that ran on the Traveler last spring.

With two incidents in the last several months, park managers are adopting new strategies to prevent additional incursions. Although the area is already posted with both regulatory and informational signs, additional Carsonite posts will be added along the shoreline. Large regulatory signs will be posted along both entrances to the area to ensure that everyone visiting the area gets the message. An attempt will be made to soften the existing tracks by pumping water onto the most heavily damaged areas. Additionally, the park is recruiting for volunteers to help protect the Racetrack by spending time at the site providing visitor education. Check the Death Valley Facebook page for more information about this volunteer opportunity.

Park rangers note that all visitors are required to keep their vehicles on established roads. If you see someone driving or parked beyond the road shoulder, report it immediately to any ranger or visitor center, or call Park Dispatch at 760-786-2330.