People Want a Lifetime Ban for Visitors Defacing Yellowstone National Park

Some visitors at Yellowstone National Park are not abiding by rules, leading to some pushing for a lifetime ban.

A bison herd grazes in Yellowstone National Park. / Linda Lynn/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Yellowstone National Park draws millions of visitors from around the world every year. There is a lot to do, as the region offers a lot of things to see that you cannot enjoy anywhere else.

Bison and elk are two of the animals that you will see, but the biggest attraction is the geysers. People come from every corner of the world to see some eruptions to get a look at some real nature in action.

Hot springs are also a popular attraction in the more than 3,400 square miles of parkland. To put into perspective just how big Yellowstone is, the size in square miles is more than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

A lot of time and effort goes into preserving a park of that size. Rangers do their part, and their job is much easier when tourists abide by the rules and regulations that are in place.

Unfortunately, not everyone follows those rules, creating unnecessary work for everyone on staff.

Recently, some patrons took it upon themselves to deface a pool near Old Faithful, arguably the biggest attraction in the park. One of the photos shared on Instagram featured a ranger, on their hands and knees on the boardwalk, scrubbing the drawing off.

"I took a picture of a NPS ranger trying to clean some drawings tourons made in a pool near Old Faithful," wrote the original poster Amandine Cléry (@amandineclry). "People are unbelievable in this park."

Someone scribbled the word ‘hi’ with a smiley face and other little things alongside it. Behavior like that is what could ruin such an incredible experience for everyone because a potential change to ensure the parks remain as nice as they are is to put more restrictions on the access visitors have.

But, instead of the entire population as a whole being punished, some people want to see discipline handed to the perpetrators.

"I just don't get why people disrespect these parks. They deserve a lifetime ban," suggested one Instagram user. "Thank goodness for the rangers, they are everything," commented another, both shared by Demitri Fierro of The Cool Down.

Disappointingly, this isn’t the first time there have been issues. As people get overly comfortable with their surroundings in the park, safety is jeopardized.

One visitor decided to depart from designated pathways and suffered severe burns as a result. Another put a baby elk in their car.

Disrupting wildlife to that extent could lead to animals needing to be euthanized. Respect needs to be shown to everything in the park, humans and wildlife and nature alike so that everyone can continue enjoying the amenities without restrictions.