Last summer, a new symbol highlighting the longstanding roads dispute between Garfield County and the Bureau of Land Management sprouted at the entrance to Hole-in-the-Rock Road (HITR), east of Escalante, Utah. A four-foot by eight-foot reflective yellow sign warns HITR travelers to “Use at Your Own Risk,” further stating, “Necessary improvements have been restricted by Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.” A phone number—with no additional clue as to whom one is calling—is provided for anyone seeking more information. It leads to the BLM’s Kanab Field office, home of the national monument’s headquarters.

The sign, erected by Garfield County, is emblematic of the county’s irritation at straining its budget to maintain a road claimed by the federal government, primarily for the benefit of tourists drawn to the national monument.

“The tourists are coming out here regardless of the road conditions,” said David Dodds, Garfield County Public Works Director. “We see everything from Chrysler minivans to convertible Mustangs out there, vehicles that generally have no business being down dirt roads. We feel obligated to maintain the road to safe standards because of this.”

Originally a wagon route plowed and blasted through sandstone by Latter-day Saint colonists in 1879, the 55-mile-long Hole-in-the-Rock Road has become famous for the stunning landscapes it passes through and the increasingly popular sites it provides access to. It is now also notorious for its bone—and vehicle—jarring washboards and potholes…