A Zion National Park ranger collected 14 pounds of garbage, including nine pounds of human excrement, from the Narrows section of the park/NPS

Visitors who headed to Utah to Zion National Park to explore the iconic "Narrows" during the summer left behind garbage, graffiti, and nine pounds of "poop," according to rangers.

While the popular area was open throughout the summer to visitors, rangers did not do their regular patrols because the Virgin River that flows through the Narrows was carrying a harmful cyanobacteria. Once the toxin risk ebbed this fall, a ranger headed into the area to patrol.

"The graffiti was the worst I've ever seen, it seemed like the entire stretch I walked had something left on the rock: a handprint, a name, and I won't go into detail about the poop," reported "Ranger John. "All in all, I picked up 14 pounds of trash (nine pounds were human waste) and cleaned probably 1,000 handprints or etchings in less than a mile. While it hurts to see such a unique and beautiful place treated like this, I feel honored that I have the responsibility to protect it."

Graffiti has been an ongoing problem in Zion and many other parks. Earlier this month Zion staff issued a press release urging visitors not to leave anything behind but their footprints.

According to the release, nearly every day "staff find words and shapes, carved, drawn, painted (with mud, dirt, pigment, paint), or scratched on rocks and more recently even carved within moss. Over four million people visit Zion every year. Please allow other park visitors their opportunity for discovery, by leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts, and other objects as you found them.”

In a Facebook post Tuesday the park said that "(E)ven muddy handprints can last a long time in a region that gets little rain. Leaving anything behind is not appropriate."

As for the human excrement, the staff said "(R)estrooms are located at most shuttle stops and we recommend using them before starting a trail. Once you leave the trailhead, there are no services. You are required to carry out solid human waste from all canyons in Zion, including the Narrows. Human waste disposal bags (like the silver bags in the photo) are available at the park bookstore and local outfitters."