NEED TO KNOW
- A man in flip-flops recently walked across a protected off-limits zone in Yellowstone National Park, per a July 30 post in a public Facebook group
- Photos of the incident show the man collecting hats that had blown onto the ground
- The man was trespassing on delicate bacterial mats near the park’s Grand Prismatic Spring, an offense that is punishable by law
Yellowstone visitors were shocked and horrified when an anonymous tourist walked across a protected off-limits zone in flip-flops.
The incident occurred on July 28, according to a July 30 post in the public Facebook group “Yellowstone: Invasion of the Idiots,” where park lovers can share incidents of visitors defying park rules and common-sense safety protocols.
Photos of the incident included within the post show the unknown man stepping out onto a bacterial mat near the park’s Grand Prismatic Spring. These mats are comprised of delicate living organisms and give the landscape its signature colorful appearance, per the National Park Service.
The organisms — called thermophiles — grow and thrive in the intense heat of the park’s thermal basin, and are incredibly sensitive to outside disturbances.
The man, who appeared to be picking up hats that had blown onto the mats, was seen walking on the nearby boardwalk with a woman when he exited the boardwalk and “illegally and repeatedly” walked “all over the bacterial mats,” per the post.
PEOPLE reached out to Yellowstone National Park for comment on Saturday, Aug. 2, but did not receive an immediate response.
Walking on the mats is considered “thermal trespassing,” and is punishable by fines, park bans and even jail time.
In 2024, a 21-year-old tourist was sentenced to seven days in jail and was banned from the park for two years after he walked off a designated visitor area to get closer to Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser, according to The New York Times.
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In 2020, two men were each sentenced to 10 days in jail, a fine of $540, five years of unsupervised probation and a five-year ban from the park for trespassing on the cone of Old Faithful Geyser, per a press release from the National Park Service.
“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource [is] and illegal,” Chief Ranger Sarah Davis said in a statement at the time, per the release.
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“Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously. Yellowstone National Park also appreciates the court for recognizing the impact thermal trespass can have on these amazing features,” Davis added.
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