5000 partygoers attend an illegal event at Tonto National Park in Arizona

The historic national park requires permits for large gatherings (over 75 people) to be submitted and approved before any event. With more than 2.9M acres of land, it is the seventh-largest national forest in the US. The Tonto features some of the most rugged and inherently beautiful grounds in the country, with an idyllic landscape and relaxing lake-side beaches.

Park Rangers took the regular route of their patrol when they unexpectedly discovered a large group of revellers enjoying fireworks and target shooting. Campers and partiers used their ingenuity and taped off areas from the main road to commence the shenanigans, which ended up resulting in an emergency medical evacuation and numerous traffic violations.

The list of violations seemed to be never-ending with; speeding, double-riding, reckless vehicle operation, blocked roadways, illegal use of fireworks, target shooting and driving under the influence of alcohol, all forming the main bill and the reading of rights, according to a Facebook post from the US Forest Service.

An emergency medical evacuation via helicopter was needed as two quad bikes collided and medical professionals could not reach the injured due to the roads being blocked by the revellers! Carnage. 

A Tonto national forest spokesperson, Susan Blake, said there were also incidents of attendees riding with children who were not given helmets for protection. “This is an OHV (off-highway vehicle) area to begin with. But I think the real issue here is the large crowds,” Blake said. 

Forest officials rounded off their Facebook post by encouraging the public to help them keep the forest safe by speaking up if they become aware of these events. 

“Don’t be a part of the problem. Report these illegal Facebook meetup events to our district offices.” 

What do we think about the growing number of illegally organised mass gatherings? Is it part of a widespread issue, or is it simply a small minority exerting their beliefs?