Yellowstone tourists get jail time for trespassing at Old Faithful

Two men have been sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to trespassing on the cone of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

Eric Schefflin, 20, of Lakewood, Colo., and Ryan Goetz, 25, of Woodstock, N.Y., were sentenced on Dec. 5 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Carman at Yellowstone Justice Center in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo.

The case had been pending since the men were cited on Sept. 10, 2019, after several witnesses watched them walking toward and onto the out-of-bounds cone of iconic thermal feature.

The men also were banned from Yellowstone National Park for five years and ordered to pay $540 in restitution, according to a news release issued Thursday by the park.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Death Valley issues plea after another major car crash

“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource, and illegal,” said Chief Ranger Sarah Davis. “Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously.”

Trespassing beyond the safety of boardwalks at Yellowstone’s thermal features is a common problem despite the potential for injury or death.

Late last September a 48-year-old tourist was severely burned after falling into a hot spring near Old Faithful, while walking at night with a flashlight.

In June 2017 a man received moderate burns after he fell into a hot spring at Lower Geyser Basin.

In 2016 a man died after he fell into a hot spring at Norris Geyser Basin, and in August 2000 a man died and two other tourists were severely burned after they fell into a hot spring at Lower Geyser Basin.

A park spokeswoman told ForTheWin Outdoors that thermal trespass violations are misdemeanors and can result in fines of up to $5,000, plus up to six months in jail.

–Images showing Old Faithful and thermal features are courtesy of ©Pete Thomas and Yellowstone National Park