Eric Bedient was sentenced to five days in jail after leaving a trail of footprints across the fragile crust of Mammoth Hot Springs—a move prosecutors say could have turned him into “thermal soup.”
Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of travertine terraces in Yellowstone National Park (Photo: YayaErnstGetty Images)
Published April 10, 2026 03:46PM
Prosecutors in Wyoming sentenced a Texas man to five days in jail after he pleaded guilty to walking off the designated boardwalk at one of Yellowstone National Park‘s thermal areas.
A federal judge sentenced Eric Bedient, 50, on March 31. Court documents show that Bedient walked directly on several fragile and dangerous hydrothermal features in the park’s Mammoth Hot Springs area.
“Yellowstone’s thermal areas are among the most dangerous natural features in the world. Bedient’s disregard for the law could have cost him his life. Prosecuting crimes like this deters others from similar conduct—and from risking becoming thermal soup,” U.S. Attorney General Darin Smith said in a statement.
Travertine terraces, like those found at Mammoth Hot Springs, are naturally formed sculptures made by the deposition of delicate minerals. Unlike dirt, these footprints don’t just wash away. Walking on these features can permanently alter water flow and kill the colorful, warm-water-loving bacteria known as thermophiles.
Prosecutors say the sentence reflects the damage Bedient’s footprints left on the fragile ecosystem and his apparent disregard for Yellowstone National Park’s regulations. But he’s far from the first person to knowingly tromp through the dangerous yet delicate areas of the geothermal wonderland.
A History of Tresspassing in Yellowstone
In 2024, officials fined James Bond star Pierce Brosnan $500 and ordered him to pay $1,000 in community service after he pleaded guilty to walking through a thermal area in Mammoth. According to court documents, the actor shared a photo of himself on social media showing him standing on the feature.
That same year, a 21-year-old man from Washington received a seven-day jail sentence for thermal trespass at Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin. He also had to pay a $1,500 fine and accepted a two-year ban from the park.
A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to seven days in jail in 2021 after walking on thermal ground at Norris Geyser Basin. In 2020, officials sentenced two men to ten days of incarceration—and a five-year ban from Yellowstone—after the duo trespassed on the cone of Old Faithful Geyser, a closed thermal area.
Even a few steps off the boardwalk in a geothermal zone are illegal, both because of the ecosystem’s fragility and the dangers people face when walking into it. Colin Scott, a 21-year-old from Portland, Oregon, died in 2016 after walking off the designated boardwalk and into boiling water.
Federal courts determine penalties for breaking park rules, which vary by case and can include hundreds of dollars and possible jail time.
“We will continue to hold individuals accountable to protect lives and preserve this unique, irreplaceable landscape when their actions threaten these national treasures for future generations,” Smith said.
NPS Regulations for Yellowstone’s Thermal Areas
Stay on boardwalks: Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks.
Don’t touch thermal features or runoff: Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns. Hot springs also contain algae, bacteria, and fungi found nowhere else in the world; coming in contact with these life forms can destroy them.
Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited: More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs. For your safety and to protect Yellowstone’s thermal features, it is illegal to swim or bathe in any water entirely of thermal origin.
Pets are prohibited: Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they’re on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks. This policy exists to protect our pets from being burned or killed in hot springs.
