An Instagram clip filmed inside Yellowstone National Park is sparking reactions online after appearing to show a park employee breaking a rule designed to protect both visitors and wildlife.
The video shared by the Tourons of National Parks Instagram account (@touronsofnationalparks) shows a person riding a bicycle along one of Yellowstone's elevated boardwalk paths — areas where bikes are explicitly prohibited because of fragile geothermal features and heavy foot traffic. The narrator, who is chastising the person for breaking the rules, adds, "And the guy works here too."
The clip prompted criticism from viewers worried that visible rule-breaking — especially by staff — could encourage others to follow suit.
National park rules exist for a reason — and while biking is allowed in permitted areas of Yellowstone, the park makes it clear that certain areas are off-limits to cyclists.
The park's boardwalks help protect geothermal features that can be dangerously hot or unstable just inches below the surface. They also reduce the likelihood of dangerous wildlife encounters by keeping visitors predictable and contained in high-traffic areas.
When people ignore those boundaries — whether by biking, stepping off paths, or approaching animals — the risks escalate quickly. In fact, hot springs have killed more than 20 visitors to Yellowstone. Also, animals that injure humans, even when provoked, can end up being euthanized.
That means breaking the rules is not only dangerous for people, but it's also a risk for the park's wild residents. Not to mention it ruins the experience for others and can eventually lead to more restrictions and areas being made off-limits.
Backlash to the clip reflects a broader frustration with what many see as a growing trend of "tourons" bending the rules in national parks. Commenters stressed that if employees appear to disregard established guidelines, it undermines years of education aimed at protecting both people and ecosystems.
"If the people who work at Yellowstone can't follow basic rules, then the entitled tourists will think it's ok too," one commenter on the Instagram clip wrote.
Another added, "Board'walk' might be his first clue."
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A third said, "People often choose to ignore signs prohibiting bicycles on boardwalks in Yellowstone National Park due to a combination of convenience, a false sense of security, lack of situational awareness, and a 'me first' attitude."
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