Visitor Accused of Defacing Thermal Feature
A vandal who carved the name ‘Nick’ into a rockface at Yellowstone National Park has ignited outrage among fans and visitors of the iconic park. A photo shared on the Facebook group ‘Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots’ showed the defacement on a thermal crust near the Biscuit Basin boardwalk. The graffiti read, “Nick and [illegible] were here,” and members of the group are now on a mission to identify and expose the culprits.
One enraged group member exclaimed, “Dirty, rotten a******s! Get photographic evidence catching them in the act! They deserve to be reported and publicly shamed! This is getting ridiculous.” Another urged, “Please take a picture of the people doing this and follow them to their vehicle and take a picture of their license plate and turn it in.” The consensus among the group is clear: the vandalism must be stopped, and the vandals held accountable.
The Biscuit Basin trail, a 0.6-mile loop, offers views of hydrothermal features such as Sapphire Pool, Avoca Spring, and Jewel Geyser, which erupts every seven to ten minutes. These natural wonders draw many visitors, making the defacement all the more infuriating to park enthusiasts.
Many group members expressed their fury and even suggested extreme measures to punish those responsible. Comments ranged from “Man if I see someone doing this they will be eating that rock and then nothing solid ever again” to “Nick you’re a d**k,” and “A******s what’s wrong with these idiots ban them from the park.”
As tourist season ramps up in Yellowstone, so do the efforts of groups dedicated to capturing and exposing what they term “tourons”—a blend of “tourist” and “moron.”
These groups aim to hold accountable those who flout park rules and put both themselves and the park’s delicate features at risk. Instagram accounts like ‘Tourons of Yellowstone’ compile instances of tourists ignoring safety guidelines, often to take selfies or get closer to wildlife.
Even celebrities have been caught and penalized for similar infractions. James Bond star Pierce Brosnan was fined $500 and made a $1,000 donation after posting pictures of himself in an off-limits thermal area during a visit in November. Despite initially pleading not guilty, he was found to have violated park rules by venturing into a restricted area.
Venturing off the designated boardwalks in Yellowstone is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous. The park’s geothermal features are fragile and can take years to recover from damage. There have been numerous fatalities from visitors falling into Yellowstone’s scalding pools. In one tragic instance, Colin Nathaniel Scott dissolved in hot acidic water after leaving the boardwalk at the Norris Geyser Basin in 2015.
As the community rallies to protect Yellowstone, the message is clear: respect the park’s rules and natural beauty. The ongoing efforts to identify and shame vandals like ‘Nick’ are a testament to the dedication of park lovers who wish to preserve Yellowstone for future generations.