Vandals Destroy Montana Landmark Criminal Probe Launched Into Destruction Of Eye Of The Needle Sandstone Arch
The Eye of the Needle, a natural landmark on the Missouri River photographed by thousands of river rafters and featured on the cover of the state highway map, has been destroyed by vandals.
The Eye, a natural arch in central Montana along a section of the Missouri designated as a national wild and scenic river, was knocked over by vandals, apparently early last week, said Craig Flentie, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management in Lewistown.
It was last seen intact on Saturday, May 24, Flentie said. An outfitter guiding a river trip noticed the damage on Tuesday, May 27.
“He was on the river for several more days, but contacted our office on May 30,” Flentie said. “That same day we dispatched a couple of river rangers” to protect the site for investigators.
On Monday, Flentie said, a BLM geologist and BLM law officers inspected the damage to determine if it was a natural collapse or done by humans, and they concluded it was the latter, Flentie said.
The arch, once 10 to 11 feet tall, lost about its top 4 feet, leaving two 6-foot pillars that once formed the arch’s sides. Six or seven other pinnacles also were broken off or shoved over.
Flentie said the vandalism is being investigated as a criminal act, although the exact charge that might be levied would be up to the U.S. attorney. However, he said the charge could be serious if it is based on the “public values” of the arch.
“It’s been one of the most photographed features along the river, and literally thousands of people have had their picture taken with it,” Flentie said.
He said BLM personnel familiar with the the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the area could recall no specific reference to the arch, but the explorers did mention the “peculiar pinnacles” of the region.
The investigation is being handled by the BLM and the Chouteau County sheriff, Flentie said.
Those who were on the river at the time are being interviewed, Flentie said. A river campground is directly across the river from the Eye, and investigators are hopeful someone there may have seen or heard the vandals.
The Eye is accessible only by riding the Missouri, and the BLM routinely records the license numbers of cars parked at take-out points, Flentie said. Those people also will be interviewed.
The Eye of the Needle is located about 56 river miles downstream of Fort Benton. It was a sandstone feature formed by wind and water erosion over centuries.