7 photos show that tourists have always been brazen at US national parks

Lauren EdmondsSep 6, 2023, 02:51 IST

Tourists taking a photo of a bear at Yellowstone National Park in 1958.Carl Iwasaki/Getty Images

Tourists misbehaving at US national parks made headlines this summer.
But people have been sacrificing safety for thrills since the 1900s.

Tourists misbehaved at US national Parks this summer, but it's not the first time.

Whether harassing a bison calf or sticking appendages into a steaming hot spring, some tourists flouted rules to the detriment of their and wildlife's safety. Their behavior made national headlines, but we shouldn't be surprised.

Photos taken before the turn of the 21st century show tourists interacting with wildlife and edging much too close to thermal areas like geysers — take a look.

In 1958, a man attempted to feed a bear while a friend snapped pictures nearby at Yellowstone National Park.

Guests are instructed to refrain from feeding the wildlife at national parks.Carl Iwasaki/Getty Images

Two men crouch and snap photos of a resting bear cub at Yellowstone National Park in 1965.

Men take photos of a bear cub at Yellowstone National Park in 1965.Bettmann/Getty Images

Tourists at Yellowstone National Park watch bear cubs hang from their car window in 1970.

The National Park Service advises tourists to avoid interacting with bears, even in vehicles.Bettmann/Getty Images

A bear chews on a tourist's tripod at Denali National Park and Preserve in 1994.

The NPS suggests people use binoculars, a spotting scope, or a telephoto lens to photograph wildlife.Wolfgang Kaehler/Getty Images

A tourist sitting in a car tried to touch a bear cub while at Yellowstone National Park in 1997.

There's an average of one bear attack each year at Yellowstone National Park, per the NPS site.Dean Conger/Getty Images

A group of tourists inspect a geyser at Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin in 1903.

Yellowstone National Park contains more than half the world's geysers.Heritage Images/Getty Images

Tourists stand very close to a geyser basin at Yellowstone National Park in 1920.

The water in thermal areas can cause severe and sometimes fatal burns, per the National Park Service.George Rinhart/Getty Images

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