5 Things to Never do in a National Park (Or anywhere, honestly)

In 2016, I saw Redwood trees for the first time. [Also, did you know Sequoias and Redwoods are different trees? I figured that out in 2020 when I was in Sequoia National Park for the first time and thought to myself these look different.] Anyway, Amanda and I were hiking in the vastly superior Prairie Creek State Park near Redwoods National Park. We were deep into the woods, taking in all of the ancient beauty of this forest. At any turn, you’d expect there to be a dinosaur. Imaginations run wild in a place like this.

Across the forest in another vehicle was parking in the visitors parking lot. His imagination was running wild, too. And my experience with this guy led me to create this list. Here are 5 Things to Never Do in a National Park.

1. Never play music on a bluetooth speaker.

On the trail amongst the Redwoods, I faintly heard the music coming. I thought to myself “surely no one is hiking this trail with music playing?” There are creeks. There is wildlife. There is the wind in the trees. All of that is the soundtrack we want in the park. Yet Chris (I don’t know if that was his name, but he looked like a Chris… or Kris) decided to play The Cure while he hiked towards us. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, which should also make this list (but didn’t). Eventually he caught up to us and passed up. We later saw him down the trail sitting in a tree, loudly listening to his music. Humboldt County, right?

Please, for the love of God, never play music on a bluetooth speaker while you’re on a public land. National Parks, State Parks, open land / trails… just keep the bluetooth speaker off. No one wants to hear your music.

2. Don’t leave your trash.

Some places are better than others about this, but I have seen trash and litter basically on every trail and park I’ve been to. Once I was in Yosemite at a little hidden viewpoint near Glacier Point, and some young guys were down there drinking beers and throwing empty cans off the cliff. As a borderline-introvert, I ended up just bailing on the area because I was getting so worked up. Now I look back and wish I had said something.

But this wasn’t an isolated incident. I see snack-trash on trails all the time. People eat their granola bar and toss the trash on the trail. Please do not be this person. Keep your trash in your bag or pocket and toss it into a trash can.

3. Don’t try To touch the bears.

Actually, don’t try and touch any wildlife. I have seen some ignorant things in Yellowstone. Who in their right mind approaches and tries to touch bison? Or moose? It’s one thing to let them pass you if they’re close by and just stay really still. It’s another to risk your life trying to touch the wildlife in the parks. Even the most gentle animals, like bison, could kill you. If you want to see animals up-close, get some great binoculars. If you’re a photographer, get a great zoom lens. I use the Sony 100-400 GM.

Parks are not petting zoos. They’re wild places with wild animals. Yes, the animals are not too afraid of people (they’re there all the time), but that doesn’t mean they’re domesticated. That fox isn’t going to roll over and let you scratch it’s belly.

4. Don’t die for a photo.

Truth time. I almost did. In 2018, I was in the Cascades. It was lightly raining. There was a location I knew about that I wanted to see and get an epic photo of. When I got to the location, I did the dumbest thing. I hopped over the rail and began walking to the edge, where I would get a clear shot of a river and canyon. The rain had made the rock I was walking on very slippery, and I slipped and fell backwards and slid a few feet towards the edge.

Thankfully, I caught myself. I got up, and slowly walked back to the rail, and went back over. I then went back to the car where my wife and two small children were waiting for me. The thought of dying and abandoning them was with me for weeks, and sometimes still, honestly. What if they were just there waiting for hours for me to return, but I never came back?

Moral of the story: don’t die for a freaking photo. It’s not worth it. Follow the rules.

5. Don’t be a Jerk.

Remember, you’re there to experience nature at it’s best. And others are there for the same reason. Sometimes there are a lot of “others.” Did you read my recent post about Zion National Park? When parking lots, cafes, trails, shuttles, and traffic in the parks in general are over-crowded, it’s easy to get frustrated and disappointed. Then you morph into someone you don’t want to be. Find a way to deal with your frustrations.

Remember that everyone is in this together. We’re all trying to experience something great. So be patient with others. The only exception is if someone has a bluetooth speaker or they’re throwing beer cans off a cliff. Then you absolutely should be a jerk.

If you’re heading into the parks, follow these rules and everyone around you will have a great time. If you know someone who needs to hear these rules, send this blog on over to them, too!