Yellowstone is more dangerous than you realize. We wanted to give you a quick guide on how to stay alive in Yellowstone National Park. These may seem like common sense but you’d be surprised by how many are injured each year.
The last 10 years or so more and more people have been visiting Yellowstone National Park and with the increase in traffic it seems like more and more people are getting injured or killed. Following these easy tips you can keep you & your family safe.
1.Don’t Stand in the Road
Often people will stop to take pictures of animals and stand in the road to get those pictures. This is very unsafe. Other drivers may not see you because they are looking at those same animals.
2. Stay on the Paths in the Thermal Areas
The thermal areas often have a thin crust and you can easily fall through it. Not only could this injury you, but it is also damaging to the thermal area. If we continue to damage the park, it will not be there for us and others to enjoy in the future.
Some of the hot springs are very acidic and are very dangerous. There have been reports of people trying to soak in the hot springs. This is a TERRIBLE idea. The acidic hot springs will eat you, literally. It is also illegal. If you remain alive after doing this, you will go to jail.
3. Give Animals their space
The animals in Yellowstone National Park are wild animals. They don’t understand that you are there to look at them. They only want to protect themselves and their babies. Following the rules the park gives you for viewing animals.
As someone who lives close to the park, we hear reports of people being mauled or gored by animal fairly often. We want our readers to not be a part of those reports.
4. Don’t over do it
I asked a park ranger what is the most common cause of injury in Yellowstone National Park. She said surprisingly it isn’t injury from animal encounters; it is heart attacks. People over do it with walking and hiking.
The elevation makes it harder to get oxygen to your body and you often are walking and hiking more than you do in normal circumstances. Be aware of how you are feeling and take a break when you need to.
It may also be a good idea to see your doctor before going to Yellowstone. Make sure your heart is working properly and your body is ready to do all that walking and hiking.
5. Wear appropriate shoes
While we all love our flip flops in the summer, the terrain of Yellowstone National Park requires better shoes. I recommend tennis shoes or hiking boots. These will keep your feet safe and more likely free of injury.
6. Don’t go off alone
Hiking with others is a good idea for a couple reasons. It is easy to get lost in Yellowstone. Because there is very little cell phone service in the park, it is hard to contact help if you are lost. When you hike with someone else, it is easier to stay on the path and be aware of what is around you.
Another reason to hike with others is that you most likely will be talking and making noise. Doing this will help bears hear you coming. You will be less likely to startle a bear and will be less likely to be mauled.
I hope these tips help you enjoy your trip to Yellowstone National Park and stay alive while visiting. Are you looking for more information about visiting Yellowstone? We have more tips and tricks.
Why not join us on Pinterest: Coffee With Us 3 or hangout with us on Facebook:
Don’t forget to pin!