A Redditor captured some truly shocking behavior by Yellowstone visitors and shared the clip to the community at r/IAmTheMainCharacter.
"People risk burning to death," wrote the original poster alongside the video showing a pair walking right beside some hot springs.
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
Going off the path at Yellowstone is a major safety hazard. The water in these areas can exceed 400 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. More than 20 people have died from burns received at the geothermal sites of Yellowstone. One visitor suffered severe burns from an incident just this summer. At least one other was burned the year prior. For safety reasons alone, the park has strict rules about staying on the boardwalk areas.
Besides the safety implications, there are other good reasons to steer clear of hot springs and enjoy them from afar. Yellowstone's geothermal pools are ecologically sensitive areas. The heat and chemical composition of the water allow for unique microbial life to thrive. Contamination of these pools threatens that delicate balance.
Even outside of Yellowstone and its hot springs, staying on park paths helps keep natural areas intact. As visitors go through wilderness areas, they can erode vegetation that wildlife depend on, and scare animals away from resources they need access to.
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Reddit commenters were baffled by the behavior of visitors tempting fate at the hot springs of Yellowstone.
"I was in Hawaii walking in a National park on black lava spills when the bottom of my tennis shoes started to melt," wrote one community member. "We left immediately, and the next day the park was closed due to volcanic activity. This stuff is real and not worth monkeying around with."
"These are the same people who walk up to a bison to get a selfie," replied another.
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