“HELLO, YOU’RE WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE ELK”
Every time I visit any sort of state or national park, I try very hard to not get yelled at by a ranger. Maybe it’s because I’m a pushover, maybe it’s because I think they’re doing good work and I support what they stand for. But I can tell you pretty confidently that pissing off a ranger would sour the rest of my day.
I don’t quite understand why people think it’s okay to get this close to elk. Required distances might change park by park, so do your research, but generally, if your thumb can cover the whole animal, you’re far enough away. According to the park ranger in this video, that rule usually puts you around 50 yards away from the elk. 20 FEET IS TOO CLOSE, NOBODY WILL CARE ABOUT YOUR SELFIE WHEN YOU’RE IN THE HOSPITAL.
“We arrived at Great Smoky Mountain National Park and within 15 minutes witnessed a touron (tourist + moron) incident.” – Lucas Wiseman
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Image Credit: Lucas Wiseman via Instagram