6 Mistakes to Avoid in Yellowstone National Park, According to a Local

My California cousins may have taken their first steps at Disneyland, but growing up in Montana, my family’s go-to “theme park” was Yellowstone National Park — where the theme wasn’t Mickey Mouse but rather Mother Nature.

Thirty years later, my home base is still just an hour from the Beartooth Pass, which leads to Yellowstone’s northeast entrance. As both a local and regular parkgoer, a part of me dies inside every time I read about a Yellowstone “touron” — a term now in our vernacular thanks to the trending Instagram account — doing something dumb. Most headlines, like June’s “Bison gores 83-year-old woman in Yellowstone National Park,” involve tourists getting too close to wildlife, but touron offenses run the gamut. In May, someone filed a complaint about a “lack of trained Grizzlies.” Just a month earlier, a car full of visitors got stuck in snow for six hours after ignoring road closed signs. And last August, several tourists stuck their hands in a hot spring. Fortunately, it wasn’t the same one that “dissolved” a man in 2016.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t want people to stop visiting Yellowstone, and I certainly don’t want to be giving hall monitor energy. I just want us to respect the environment and ourselves while enjoying the world’s first national park. For that reason, below are a few “don’ts” that I hope you find helpful, whether it’s your first or 15th time driving through the Roosevelt Arch. It’s not an exhaustive list (see here for the motherlode of park rules and regulations), but it’s a good start. And remember, in the wise words of Jellystone’s lovable Yogi, be “smarter than the average bear.”

Embrace Your Inner Mario Andretti

Forget about bears and bison: Traffic-related accidents account for the largest number of injuries and fatalities in the park. If you’re driving a rental car or an RV, familiarize yourself with the vehicle. And go slow. Unless posted otherwise, the speed limit in Yellowstone is 45 miles per hour. My friend, Yellowstone guide and photographer Bo Welden, also recommends being extra cautious around wildlife jams. “Animals might be darting between cars to cross the road, leaving you little time to make a correction,” he told me. Bear cubs, mother badgers, wolf pups, and other wildlife have all been killed by distracted drivers.

Park in the Middle of the Road

In a perfect world, wildlife only appears at pullouts with plenty of parking. But most of the time, you’ll get a sighting with little shoulder. In that case, it’s OK to pull over. Make sure all four tires are over the white line so cars can safely pass. Can’t find the room? Drive slowly ahead and safely do a U-turn — they’re legal in the park — until you can get a spot. And while you are allowed to get out of your car to walk closer to a sighting, listen to park rangers or volunteers (they’ll probably be in neon vests). If wildlife moves closer, they’ll ask you to return to your vehicle. 

Pet the Fluffy Cows (or Get Anywhere Close to Wildlife)

After this 2016 faux pas where tourists put a bison calf who appeared to be cold in their car, local gift shops started selling merch that says, “Don’t pet the fluffy cows.” They’re making light of these incidents (yes, it’s happened more than once), but it’s no joke. The bison calf later had to be euthanized because it was habituated to humans. Stay at least 25 yards, or about two school buses, away from herbivores like moose, elk, deer, and bison. That jumps up to 100 yards for bears and wolves. And that’s just a baseline. “Notice if the animal stops feeding, locks onto your location, or stands up to get a better view of you,” advises Welden. “All these are signs that the animal’s stress level is rising, and you need to back up.”

Let Your Pets Run Loose

My dog has been to Yellowstone a dozen times, but he’s mostly seen it from the back seat. Because it has so much wildlife, it’s not one of our most pet-friendly national parks. Fortunately, as you enter, the ranger at the booth will give you a brochure with all the info you need. For example, pets are only allowed within 100 feet of roads, parking areas, and campgrounds and must be restrained. According to the NPS, any domestic animal caught bothering wildlife can be put down. You also don’t want your pet to introduce a disease or become prey themselves. The brochure includes a list of local kennels and doggy day cares, which I advise taking advantage of if you’re planning on hiking or leaving your vehicle for long periods.

Hike Without Bear Spray

Bug spray is optional. But bear spray? That’s essential. Still, I swear 90 percent of the tourists I see on the trails aren’t packing. Or if they are, it’s in the bottom of their bag (where it’s about as useful as a dead phone). “I take big issue with this because it’s not treating the resource with respect,” says Welden. Not only does bear spray keep us safe, but it also keeps bears safe. Whether they attack defensively or offensively, if they’re sprayed, it encourages their fear of humans. And that’s a good thing! While TSA doesn’t allow bear spray in checked or carry-on luggage, most park shops sell or rent it. (Most importantly, remember it’s meant to be sprayed at the bear, not on your skin like insect repellent.)

Share Your Food

Guard your trail mix, especially the M&Ms, with your life! While sharing is caring for friends and family, it’s disrespectful at best and devastating at worst when it comes to wildlife. My dad, who visited Yellowstone “back in the day,” likes to remind me that rangers used to feed bears to entertain tourists. But these days, it’s not only frowned upon, it can land you behind bars (yes, there’s a jail in Yellowstone). And it’s not just the top of the food chain you need to not feed. “Sloppy picnic areas attract small rodents, which draw in coyotes and bears,” explains Welden.