Judy Beth Morris / /Unsplash
A Washington woman has been sentenced to seven days in jail for breaking safety protocols at Yellowstone National Park. Back in March, the 44-year-old visitor left the boardwalk where tourists gather to get a look at Old Faithful, the park’s famous hot-water geyser.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, another tourist caught the woman in the act on camera, and the offender pleaded guilty.
Seven days in jail might sound steep, but the areas are designated by federal law.
The specific law in this case “requires (that) foot travel in all thermal areas and within the Yellowstone Canyon between the Upper Falls and Inspiration Point be confined to boardwalks or trails that are maintained for such travel and are marked by official signs.”
Many tourists don’t realize how easily severe burns and even death can occur in the area if they don’t adhere to the warning signs. A common danger is stepping through thin crusts over scalding water, like a 60-year-old woman in 2024, who was then airlifted out of the park after walking in a thermal area near Mallard Lark Trailhead.
“More serious third-degree burns are suffered by visitors who leave boardwalks and marked trails. They break through the thin surface crust up to their knees and their boots fill with scalding water. Some thermal waters are tepid, but most water temperatures are well above safe levels,” reads Yellowstone’s webpage. The park says more than 20 people have died at the park’s 10,000 geothermal pools, geysers, mudpots, steam vents and hot springs. Death by geyser is certainly a rare occurrence, but laws are in place to keep people safe, officials say.
