For one Yellowstone tourist dangerously breaking the rules, it seems justice has been served.
The TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) Instagram account shared two photos captured by an anonymous visitor of a tourist wandering off-trail within feet of the park's famous geothermal features to take a close-up picture.
The caption indicates that the visitor "provided these two pics to the rangers and they took care of him." While the rule-breaking tourist was likely unhappy to be reprimanded, the rules against going off of designated trails and boardwalks are critical to visitor safety.
For example, a 60-year-old woman suffered severe burns in 2024 and had to be taken on a helicopter for emergency treatment when the thin crust beneath her broke and exposed her to extremely hot water.
"Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs," the park says. It also notes that 20 people have died from burns after entering or falling into the hot springs. Doing so is also "disrupting the delicate thermal formation."
For those reasons, Yellowstone bans wandering off designated trails and boardwalks, touching thermal features or runoff, swimming or basking in the springs, bringing your pets to thermal areas, and throwing objects in the features.
Unfortunately, many tourists believe they are above the rules or are unaware of them. There are frustrating examples of other tourists taking photos, tapping the water, rinsing themselves in it, walking barefoot on the crust, and even cooking food.
The temptation to get dangerously close for photos definitely extends to risky and forbidden interactions with other Yellowstone mainstays such as bison and wild elk. Similar to dicey hot springs behavior, visitors often face severe consequences for not showing proper respect for wild animals.
Knowing and abiding by the park's rules regarding thermal features and wild animals is key to having a responsible vacation in Yellowstone and helping ensure the future of the park, its animals, and its remarkable features.
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Absolutely 👏 Commenters on Instagram were disillusioned by the tourist but happy with the anonymous visitor who stopped them.
One wrote: "Good for you! This is ridiculous that people think they can do this."
"Well done, which he would have been if he had broken through," another user quipped.
"With a zoom lens they don't have to destroy the park," a viewer suggested.
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