Man cited for walking on Yellowstone Park hot spring

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park rangers have cited a man for walking on a sensitive hot spring area.

National Park Service spokeswoman Linda Veress says the incident occurred Thursday at Grand Prismatic Spring.

Veress says another visitor saw the man leave the boardwalk, which visitors are required to stay on, and walk on the hot spring.

The visitor reported the incident to rangers and provided a video of the man walking off the boardwalk as well as a photo of the license plate on the man’s vehicle.

The name of the man issued the citation was not released.

Visitors are prohibited from leaving boardwalks in the park because they can damage the sensitive thermal features or fall into scalding water underneath them.