A lot of the following rules all comes back to this: the National Parks should be taken seriously. Back in 2009, a group decided to make their first backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon. They called emergency responders first because they believed they had run out of water. After finding a water source, they then called again alarmed that the water they had found tasted “too salty”. Finally, after calling for a third time, a helicopter was dispatched to lift them out of the canyon.

02 Don’t touch the animals

While one of the benefits of the National Parks is the ability to view wildlife in their natural habitat, it’s important that this is done from a safe distance with the aid of binoculars, spotting scopes, or telephoto lenses. You should never, ever get so close to an animal that you alter their behavior. It’s not only dangerous for you, but it also provokes animals and may cause them to react defensively. And it’s illegal according to federal law.

As mentioned earlier, the tourists at Yellowstone tourists spotted an abandoned bison calf by the road and decided they could help it by getting it to a park ranger. While their heart may have been in the right place, their lack of knowledge made the situation much worse. Not only did the baby bison have to be put down after coming into contact with humans at such a young age, but they also put themselves at risk. More people are harmed from bison each year in Yellowstone than any other animal. In 2015, two people were headbutted by a bison while attempting to take a “selfie”.

03 Bring water with you into the desert

While the allure of an adventure out into the middle of America’s deserts can be appealing, the other-worldly experience can turn deadly for the unprepared. Last summer, a family hike in New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument turned tragic when a mother and father apparently died of heat exhaustion while attempting to keep their 9-year-old son hydrated with only two bottles of water (the child survived).

04 Don’t take things