Visit the world's first national park, Yellowstone. Marvel at a volcano's hidden power rising up in colorful hot springs, mud pots, and geysers. Explore mountains, forests, and lakes to watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. Discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."
But, these are the 5 things you shouldn't be doing at the Yellowstone National Park.
Following the fires of 1988, thousands of dead trees, known as snags, were left standing in Yellowstone. These snags may fall with very little warning. Be cautious and alert for falling snags along trails and roadways, and in campsites and picnic areas. Avoid areas with large numbers of dead trees.
Stay on boardwalks and designated trails; watch for frosty and icy trails and boardwalks, especially in the morning. Scalding water underlies thin, breakable crusts; pools are near or above boiling temperatures. Each year, visitors off trail in thermal areas have been seriously burned, and people have died in the scalding water. Thermal features are easily destroyed. Visitors throwing objects into these features have damaged a number of geysers and hot springs. Walking on them, carving or defacing them, or removing souvenir pieces of formation destroys decades or centuries of intricate natural processes.
People have been seriously injured, maimed, and killed by bears. Do not approach bears! Observe them at a distance (you are at greatest risk if you are closer than 100 yards (91 m)). Bears may appear tolerant of people but are known to attack without warning. Feeding wildlife is unlawful. Animals who are fed often become demanding and aggressive, cause personal injury, and must be destroyed. Odor's attract bears! Bears need your concem - not your food
Each year visitors approach bison too closely and are gored. People have been killed by these animals which weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) and sprint at 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour) (three times faster than you can run)
Boardwalks and trails protect you and preserve delicate formations. You must stay on boardwalks and designated trails. Scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust. Pools may be near or above the boiling temperature and can cause severe, possibly even fatal, burns.
6. Water
Do not take risks while fishing, wading, or crossing streams or lakes: park waters can be deceptively cold and swift. Over 50 people have lost their lives on Yellowstone Lake, Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake. Most of these deaths were preventable. Make sure your boat is loaded properly and not overloaded; stay close to the shoreline; always wear a life jacket; travel in a group; be able to self-rescue; do not make open-water crossings in windy weather.
Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful. It's also home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
