Yellowstone Park - Illegally Walking off boardwalk at Mammoth Hot Springs

In Yellowstone park it's dangerous AND illegal to leave the boardwalk near geothermal features. Not only is there risk of serious injury or death from acid burns, but this destroys the fragile mineral deposits, ruining the experience for future visitors.

On Sunday June 21st, 2009, I witnessed this (apparently Chinese) tourist climb over the railing at Mammoth Hot Springs to take closer pictures. I took this video, and was able to identify their vehicle when a couple of people in the group went back to their car briefly, which told which license plate to take a picture of. I then reported the incident to park ranger and showed him the video and the picture of their car. Last I saw, he was parked behind their car at Mammoth, waiting for them to return.

Update: The Park Ranger I reported this to contacted me to let me know the girl was cited and fined $125.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Yellowstone
• Mammoth
• hot sprngs
• illegal
• destruction of property
• national park

[retiredranger1999]

jsgarvin, thank you for taking the initiative to have this lady busted. I wish everyone would do so. I've done similar things off-duty and had violators yell at me to mind my own business. I just tell them that is exactly what I'm doing.

[retiredranger1999]

I managed a small geothermal area for 10 years. The hazard of that area is that heat, water and steam can erode the subsurface of the ground, in some cases, very gradually. The next person walking on the surface can break through. I don't know how many times I've cited people for entering a clearly marked closed area and had the person tell me it was OK, because they were trying to get a better picture. I saw the results of people breaking through and it wasn't pretty to say the least.

[teejate]

Right on. It's like reporting a drunk driver. Gotta' do it.

Every year there are a few deaths in my home mountains, the San Gabriel's outside of L.A, and in most cases it's due to people viewing nature as a theme park. As an avid hiker it breaks my heart to hear about those stories but when I see videos like this I just end up getting pissed at such disrespect.

[mickeydude08]

Stupid people! Stay home if you can not follow directions. I wish she would have hit a soft spot and fell through and scalded herself.

[Thehalopianoplayer]

wow, i wonder if they can read the hundreds of signs that say "KEEP OFF" it even says it in so many languages. in this book i got called Death at yellowstone, the fisg 30 pages were devoted to the retards who died by guysers. Shame on you for not only disobaying the park rules, but also tramping on our parks :(

[1sfgmen]

This is such a disgrace!!!

This is why Mainland Chinese are one of the top ugly ugly tourist group in the world!

[x6packxcl]

Being Chinese myself, I am ashamed to say that yes, they are Chinese as well. I think a $125 was way too lenient. A permanent National Park ban should be placed. It takes only a few to ruin the good name of billions of Asian people who are most likely very respectful towards nature. I'm heading to the park myself in a week and hope rangers don't tackle me on sight. Although, I'm a lot more Americanized than these tourists who are probably on a tour from China.

[macvugum]

Unbelievably Ive seen tourists do this (walk off the boardwalks and cross thermals) a number of times in yellowstone - pretty much every time its been japanese, vietnamese, chinese - Im not sure but they've all been oriental. Last one I saw this summer was a group of japanese ppl walk across the field north of old faithful...guess they didnt want to walk around ? Is it they cant read the signs ? do you need a sign to tell you not to walk off a wooden walkway and onto a steaming/boiling field ?

[WhiteOutPro]

What A REATARD

[teenonator]

DUMBASS!! Read Engrish signs!!

Maybe they should make reading "Death In Yellowstone" mandatory for these cretins