Don't mess with Yellowstone. That goes for the show and the National Park. I recently went to Yellowstone for the first time since I was a kid and man oh man is it remarkable. It is also very dangerous. Geysers, hot boiling water and straight up acid bubbling up from different layers in the earths crust is nothing to toy with.

There is a sign that I will never forget near Yellowstone Lake, which is massive by the way. Near the lake there is a lengthy boardwalk that takes you around various holes with different liquids boiling up. The sign before you enter the boardwalk has a drawing of a boy falling off the boardwalk to his death as a mother helplessly tries to grab him. Sounds horrifying? it is. According to the sign at least 20 people have died and hundreds more have been injured stepping off or falling off the boardwalk. Even where it seems like there is solid ground many places are just a shallow crust with boiling and treacherous acid underneath.

This 26 year old from Connecticut didn't take things very seriously and frankly is luck to be alive. Madeline was charged with a week in jail and over $2,000 in fines after walking off-trail and onto thermal ground at Yellowstone National Park. Not only could this have destroyed her, it destroys the landscape and the parks preserve that cannot be fixed.

According to the daily mail,  her and another hiker stepped off the boardwalk near the Norris Geyser Basin on July 22 and walked toward a thermal pool. She can't pretend like she didnt see the signs because if you have ever been to Yellowstone you know they do a darn good job at making it clear to NOT step off the boardwalks.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

Explore Idaho's Teepee House in Cascade

Idaho has so many unique homes thanks to its unique residents. Did you know there was a teepee house in Cascade Idaho? It is considered a tiny home with only 826 square feet. This cozy cone shaped home makes quite a statement in Cascade. Thanks to realtor.com we got to see photos of the inside.


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