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“It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
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“It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

The vast majority of visitors to Yellowstone National Park heed warning signs and stay on boardwalks that pass through geothermal areas.

And then there are visitors, like those who appeared in a viral Reddit post on the forum. r/slightly infuriating — who ignore the signs and head straight for the dangerous areas.

"Isn't there a hefty fine if they are caught leaving the sidewalks?"
Photo credit: Reddit

THE post shows two hikers, one standing on the ground next to the boardwalk and the other with one foot on the ground and one foot casually perched on the boardwalk rail.

“So many signs remain so (sic) on the Yellowstone Parkway,” explains the Redditor. “So there are these people.”

Yellowstone goes to great lengths to ensure the safety of visitors, wildlife and natural resources in a park filled with geothermal features. Old Faithful attracts most of the press, but there are more than 10,000 in the park. In fact, there is more geysers in Yellowstone than anywhere else on earth.

The ground beneath the sidewalks is a thin crust of earth, often hiding boiling water and mud beneath. If you are in the wrong place, you could suffer serious injury or worse.

“Stay on walks and trails in thermal areas,” according to on the official Yellowstone website. “Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature.”

Yellowstone’s geothermal areas are also incredibly fragile and already suffering from the recklessness of some visitors. Drones could crash into geysers, and coins and trash are often thrown there. If stones and logs are thrown into the boiling cauldrons, the geysers are also at risk of being blocked and damaged.

When visit national parksit is important to respect the environment and use your voice to help ensure others are aware of their surroundings.

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“Isn’t there a hefty fine if they’re caught leaving the sidewalks?” said a Redditor. “The ground could fall out from under them at any point.”

“It drove me crazy when we were there a few years ago,” said another. “SO MANY people have left the trails, especially in the thermal areas. It’s a disaster waiting to happen for some of them.”

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