Onlooker captures photo of tourist's 'shocking' act at Yellowstone: '[They] always ruin the experience'

Sometimes nothing charges your mental battery more effectively than a perfectly timed vacation to a gorgeous national park. But when other parkgoers participate in questionable behaviors, it can turn a pleasant day in nature into a frustrating experience filled with disappointment.

For one Redditor, their time inside Yellowstone National Park resulted in witnessing a fellow tourist risk their life for a closer look at Old Faithful. They took to r/NationalPark to share a snapshot of the reckless individual who walked right up to the geyser.

"That guy will get banned from the park." — Photo Credit: Reddit

Old Faithful has become a world-famous landmark that draws in countless visitors every year. Located inside Yellowstone, the geyser is known for its somewhat predictable eruptions. Because of its popularity, there are designated boardwalks and paths around Old Faithful and other thermal features in the park. This is due to the extremely hot water that is produced by the geyser and the fragile ground around it.

This makes Old Faithful and other geysers and thermal areas in Yellowstone significant dangers to visitors. While the primary dangers include burns from scalding water and falling through thin crusts, there is also the potential for hydrothermal explosions due to the buildup of toxic gases.

Hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are naturally released from Old Faithful and similar geysers in the park. If exposed to high concentrations of either gas, it can cause severe health complications that may be fatal.

The frustrations over ignorant tourists and their "shocking" behavior were shared by most of the users in the comments section.

"That guy will get banned from the park, if he doesn't get parbroiled," quipped one user.

"Not like there's signs all over the place saying that it's both hazardous to the environment to walk on it AND dangerous to the person as well…" joked another commenter.

"I've been visiting the park for the past 20 years and these [people] always ruin the experience," vented a third user.

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?

Definitely 👍