SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A signature towering arch in southern Utah could soon be closed to rope-swinging and other daredevil activities amid frustration from visitors who came to marvel at a natural wonder, not an extreme-sports arena pierced by daredevil howls.
Federal officials at Corona Arch are considering outlawing the stunt made so popular on YouTube that state authorities banned it from commercial outfitters last year. The activity involves taking a running leap and swinging like a pendulum through five-story openings.
"Do we look down on folks who do this activity? No, of course not," said Rock Smith, supervisory outdoor recreation planner at the federal Bureau of Land Management in Moab. "It's a matter of is it appropriate or not" on lands designated for hiking. "The other side is: We know people like to swing, and we're not stopping that everywhere, either."
About 40,000 hikers trek to the sandstone structure each year, and many see it just once, federal officials estimate.
The plans come amid a recent change in ownership. Last month, the agency gained control of the area in a land swap that gave the state rights to oil-rich lands in eastern Utah.
A sign at the trailhead to the 100-foot arch warns thrill-seekers they may swing at their own peril, surrounded by "sheer drops all around," reported the Salt Lake Tribune. It continues: "There is high potential for serious injury or death even if your equipment works."
The agency is considering similar policies at the smaller Bowtie Arch and on 10 acres surrounding nearby Gemini Bridges. They would bar activities there such as rappelling, zip-lining, slack-lining and high-lining, which includes balancing on a taut rope.
Last year, 22-year-old Kyle Lee Stocking of West Jordan died after leaving too much slack in his rope.
Last month, a 25-year-old New Yorker also made a deadly miscalculation, according to the Grand County sheriff's office, which did not immediately release his name. He is recovering in a long-term care facility from critical injuries and was not wearing a helmet on May 4, when he crashed 70 feet below.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management office in Moab has begun surveying the area, the first step in imposing a new rule.
Viral videos have given rise to the wild swinging from ropes through arches and canyons. One 2012 video titled "World's Largest Rope Swing" has racked up more than 23 million views on YouTube.
It's a relatively new form of recreation in Utah's canyon lands, which log injuries and deaths from rock climbing and BASE jumping, which involves leaping from a ledge with a parachute.
Since the mid-1990's, an "explosion" of adventurers have sought out Moab as an extreme-sports destination, at times rendering it "Disney Land-esque," said Evan Howes of outfitter Moab Cliffs and Canyons.
"I don't envy the position the BLM is in," he said. "They're trying to preserve the experience for some people, and that means limiting it for others."