Tourist accused of walking on Yellowstone geyser gets sent to jail, officials say
Stepping off a trail in Yellowstone could land you in jail, and a tourist is learning that lesson the hard way.
A 26-year-old from Connecticut was sentenced to a week in jail after walking on thermal ground near one of Yellowstone’s iconic geysers, the Wyoming Department of Justice said Wednesday.
She was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $40 in fees. Additionally, the woman will have to pay $1,000 in community service to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Resource Fund, the nonprofit partner of the national park.
The woman and two other people walked onto a thermal pool and geyser at the park’s Norris Geyser Basin, officials said.
“She and one other person got off the boardwalk and were walking on thermal ground. Multiple other people were concerned and took photos and videos of the three,” officials said.
It’s not clear if the other person who walked on thermal ground has been identified or faces similar punishment.
Norris Geyser Basin is a popular area in the park that has signs warning people to stay on the boardwalk, officials said.
It’s one of the largest thermal areas in Yellowstone and the hottest, according to the National Park Service. Nearly all of the thermal features at Norris Geyser Basin are above boiling point, which is 199 degrees at the elevation.
“For those who lack a natural ability to appreciate the dangerousness of crusty and unstable ground, boiling water, and scalding mud, the National Park Service does a darn good job of warning them to stay on the boardwalk and trial in thermal areas,” Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray said in a news release. “Yet there will always be those like (this woman) who don’t get it. Although a criminal prosecution and jail time may seem harsh, it’s better than spending time in a hospital’s burn unit.”
People have been seriously injured from falling into the water in Yellowstone. In May, a visitor fell into scalding-hot water at Old Faithful while trying to take photos, the park said.
In 2016, an Oregon man may have dissolved after trying to soak in a thermal area. Workers couldn’t find any remains, and park rangers believe he dissolved from the dangerously hot water, The Associated Press reported.
Last fall, a 48-year-old man was hospitalized with “severe burns to a significant portion of his body” from falling into scalding-hot water near Old Faithful Geyser, McClatchy News reported.
“The ground is fragile and thin and scalding water just below the surface can cause severe or fatal burns,” Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs Officer Morgan Warthin said in the news release. “More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Tourist accused of walking on Yellowstone geyser gets sent to jail, officials say."