How Not to Be a ‘Bad Tourist’ in the Outdoors
Few things inspire more click-worthy internet rage than stories about tourists who suffer consequences after doing “stupid” things. Every summer, someone else is getting gored by something with horns, tossed by something with antlers, rescued from trails they had no business hiking, or causing a domino effect of river rescues. Often, there’s a phone and a selfie somewhere in the mix.
It’s hard to say whether the average tourist today is worse than ever before, or if there’s a higher proportion of “bad travelers” than there were in, say, the 1970s. There are certainly more travelers than there were back then—there were 1.4 billion global travelers in 2024, and trends suggest this year will see even more. It’s easier, faster, and cheaper to travel today than ever before, which means travel and, therefore, rugged wilderness areas, are accessible to a much wider segment of the global population.
That’s a good thing—we’re all about making it easier for people to connect with nature and have meaningful experiences outdoors. It also means that there are more people with less experience getting themselves into tricky situations because they haven’t been exposed to proper wilderness etiquette. Thanks to our always-scrolling society, it’s harder for less-experienced travelers to make their embarrassing mistakes in private, away from prying phone cameras.
Plus, no one makes headlines for not touching wildlife, or for not stealing artifacts from historic sites, or for not sitting on the art at a museum. Back in the 1800s, it was common practice to hack off pieces of petrified redwoods like those at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, in Colorado, as a sort of DIY souvenir.
Before you write everyone off as a brainless tourist, consider that many “stupid” and high-risk mistakes could easily be made by any one of us. It doesn’t take much to fall, trip, or slide down a mountain. Most of the “bad behavior” I’ve read about this summer broadly falls into five categories, and they’re mistakes anyone could make.
Getting Too Close to a Cliff Edge or Riverbank
Far too many tragic accidents and near-death experiences start out this way: We just wanted a cool photo… In July, a harrowing river rescue of three out of four Floridians in Glacier National Park was caused by one such group shot. It started when one member of the group fell into Avalanche Creek, then two of the others jumped in to try to save them.
The domino effect of rescues involved two cardiac arrests requiring CPR from bystanders, plus a technical rescue team to save the third person. All are OK now, but it could have easily been much worse. Ignoring posted warnings, access restrictions, or clear danger is a recipe for disaster.
Overestimating Fitness, Ability, or Skills and/or Lack of Preparedness
We’re not trying to shame anyone for phone addiction—some people (far too many people) would dive into a trailhead toilet to rescue their iPhone—but we would like to state for the record that phones are replaceable, and your lives (and dignity) are not. Back in April, an international student from China was rescued from Mt. Fuji twice in four days, both times outside the mountain’s official climbing season.
He first got stuck when he lost his crampons and couldn’t descend the mountain, and a rescue team picked him up by helicopter. Then, a few days later, he hiked back up to retrieve stuff he’d left behind, including his phone, and needed a second rescue due to altitude sickness.
Breaking Safety and Conservation Rules
Maybe there’s something that’s just so otherworldly about Yellowstone that our brains mistake its hot springs, geysers, bubbling mud pits, and plethora of animals with pointy extremities as manufactured amusements with some killer special effects. But whatever it is, its majesty inspires a fair bit of foolishness.
In July, a teenager walked off-trail near the Lone Star Geyser and sustained serious burns to his foot and lower leg when he broke through a delicate crust into hot, hot water. The very same day, a guy in flip-flops walked through Grand Prismatic Hot Spring to gather hats that had blown off people’s heads.
How Can You Avoid Being That Tourist?
It’s so easy to be overconfident and to underestimate risk, to be “that guy.” But it’s not too late to change your ways. Here are some tips to help you avoid being a repeat offender:
- Reflect on Your Past Mistakes
- Lets Go of the Need for a ‘Perfect Photo’—and Watch Where You’re Going
- Just Say No to DIY Wildlife Encounters
- Behave Like You’re Risking A Life—Because You Are
We all make mistakes, and we all have moments where we let our guard down. The key is to learn from those experiences and be more thoughtful in the future. So take a deep breath, ask yourself if you really need that selfie, and remember: a rescue doesn’t impact just you.