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 U.S. 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.”
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.”
Viral videos have given rise to the wild swinging from ropes through arches and canyons.
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.
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