We firmly believe that the national parks are a people-watching phenomenon, and you will see things there that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. (And we aren’t talking about nature – we’re talking about stupid behavior!)
In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we discuss some of the wildest things we have seen in the parks. Join us for National Park Visitor Bingo and Two Truths and a Lie as we share true stories of stupid national park behavior!
Join us as we cover:
- National Park Visitor Bingo
- The craziest things we see every time we are in the parks
- Two Truths and a Lie
- The people who put the wild in wildlife
- The things people do for social media
- Why the buffalo is the king of beasts
- Sports in the parks
- Yes, the water in Yellowstone is boiling
- Dumb things the park service has done
Many of these things are funny, but how we interact with these national parks has a significant impact, so it’s important to know what to do and what not to do!
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode:
Stupid National Park Behavior Overview
In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of national parks and explore the interesting behavior that can be observed within these amazing landscapes. From hazardous driving incidents to ill-prepared hikers, we discuss the unique experiences that make national parks even more interesting.
We strive to strike a balance between amusement and respectful observation and hope you enjoy learning about the antics and misadventures that have taken place, leaving us amused and entertained.
National Park Visitor BINGO Card
We created a bingo card for all the unusual tourist behaviors we’ve observed on our National Park visits. Just to name a few: witnessing drivers abruptly stopping on highways to capture photos of mundane objects like trees, the challenges tourists face when attempting to open bear-proof garbage cans, first-time RV drivers, people feeding wildlife from their hands, visitors approaching wildlife for selfies, hiking in flip-flops, and many more.
Your group can play along on your next national park vacation!
>> Download your BINGO card here <<
Unbelievable Park Mishaps and Stupid Behaviors
During our truths and lies game, we share stories of bizarre incidents and behavior witnessed in national parks. These stories are from different news sources and are all true!
1: The Bison Calf Looked Cold
In 2016, some Yellowstone visitors were wildlife-watching early in the season when it was still cold outside. They saw a bison calf and thought it looked cold, so they picked up the calf, put it in their van, and drove it to the ranger station. Unfortunately, when the bison calf was taken back to the herd, it wasn’t accepted in and had to be euthanized.
2: Disappearing Deer
In 1927, park rangers in Yosemite noticed that they had a “fawn problem” — that is, the baby deer in the park seemed to be disappearing. When a lady tried to smuggle a baby mule deer out of the park and was caught, park rangers realized that people were taking the baby deer home as pets.
3: Humans on the Menu?
In 2018, 3 men left the authorized viewing platform at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park and got into the water with the grizzly bears. These massive bears were feeding on the salmon in the falls, but who’s to say that a human wouldn’t make a better meal?
4: Tag, You’re It!
One influencer painted and tagged a bunch of large rocks with acrylic paints in seven national parks; Death Valley, Rocky Mountain, Colorado National Monument, Canyonlands, Zion, Yosemite, and Crater Lake. Thanks to another hiking blogger, she was prosecuted for vandalism.
5: Buffalo Selfies Hurt
In Yellowstone last year, there were three buffalo gorings within a 30-day period! In one of these instances, a woman tried to take a selfie with a buffalo and was tossed 10 feet into the air.
In fact, the CDC has some interesting facts regarding bison and humans in Yellowstone. In 2015, five people were heavily injured by bison — three were tossed in the air, and two were gored, which resulted in being airlifted out of the park. All of these instances were because people got too close to the bison. You can see the full study here.
6: Don’t Try to Punch a Buffalo
A man decided to coax a buffalo into a fight with fists and animal noises. He’s lucky the buffalo was feeling generous that day, or the story may have turned out much differently.
7: Fore!
About six months ago, a girl hit a golf ball off a viewpoint at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Her club snapped in half and went flying into the canyon below as well.
This is EXTREMELY dangerous for people hiking down in the canyon. If the ball or the club hit someone below (the canyon is roughly 6,000 feet deep), they would die from the impact.
8: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
In October 2022, a man hit a baseball into the Grand Canyon from the Yavapai Geology Museum area. Like the story above, he could have killed someone. Keep the baseballs at the ball game, please.
9: Yes, The Water in Yellowstone IS Boiling
In 2020, three men were backpacking to Shoshone Geyser Basin with pots and pans. They looked suspicious, so the rangers showed up to investigate. They found the men with a burlap sack containing two whole chickens that they were going to boil in the geyser.
10: The Bidet From Hell
In 2018, a man supposedly urinated into the Old Faithful Geyser, much to the horror of the hundreds of people looking on while waiting for the geyser to erupt. This is one instance where Old Faithful could have had better timing!
11: Fire in the Hole
Yes, the park service has done a few stupid things too!
For instance, on and off between 1872 and 1968, Yosemite National Park allowed a large bonfire to be lit at Glacier Point and then it was pushed off the side of the cliff. This fire would fall 3,200 feet into Yosemite Valley below.
12: The Lunch Counter
Yellowstone used to keep garbage in open piles behind the hotels so that visitors could come and watch the bears feed off of it. This started in the 1870s until injuries from the bears started getting out of hand. Yellowstone slowly started to implement bear safety practices, but it wasn’t until 1970 that they got rid of the open pit garbage dumps.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the sometimes mind-boggling experiences and misadventures within the national parks! Stupid national park behavior can provide a mixture of entertainment, disbelief, and reflection. While some actions may seem amusing, it is essential to remember the importance of respecting these natural wonders and adhering to park guidelines.
Leave no trace!
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The Grand Canyon shenanigans reminded me of a very funny Grand Canyon public announcement from Bob & Ray. The were a comic duo from the 50’s and lasted into the 90’s. You can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/VSE0qImLqqk?t=160
Enjoy!
Haha awesome! Thanks for passing that along!