Gross ‘surprise’ soils ‘majestic wilderness’ in Yosemite National Park, photo shows
Visitors are trashing one of the country’s most iconic national parks again — now in a particularly disgusting way, the National Park Service says.
Yosemite National Park rangers posted photos of the gross discovery on Facebook on Monday, July 8.
“Picture this: Yosemite’s majestic wilderness, stunning vistas, and… surprise! Used toilet paper waving hello near Rancheria Falls — a full roll too!” the park said. “Unfortunately, this is a sight that’s become all too familiar in Yosemite, even in wilderness areas.”
The photo shows how the stunning vista at Rancheria Falls was soiled — literally — by the presence of an abandoned roll of toilet paper as well as used toilet paper that visitors had left behind.
“If you bring toilet paper out on your trips, please pack it out too. You can bring a sealable plastic baggie to stash it in, and even cover the bag in tape so you don’t have to look at it,” the park said. “Because really, nobody wants to stumble upon a surprise package left behind by an anonymous outdoor enthusiast.”
The park also reminded visitors not to bury their toilet paper.
“Please don’t bury toilet paper, it’s easily exposed by weather and erosion, and animals can dig it up and disperse it long before it decomposes (which can take 1-3 years, depending on conditions),” the park said. “Some animals may even use it for nesting material (ew). Let’s keep things clean and classy out there, by packing out whatever you carry in. Follow #LeaveNoTrace ethics to be sure our adventures make memories, not messes!”
It isn’t the first time visitors have trashed the park. Wildlife advocates have been calling for heftier fines and heavier consequences for damaging protected natural areas in various ways, including littering and having destructive gender reveal parties, McClatchy News previously reported.
“Litter left behind by tourists is a problem faced by park staff each year,” especially as more and more people visit parks each year, SF Gate reported.
“With more visitors comes more trash. An annual trash cleanup held by the Yosemite Climbing Association reported that 10,432 pounds of trash were collected at the park in 2023,” the outlet reported.
Hundreds of people took to the comments to share their outrage at the toilet paper incident.
“That’s humans for you unfortunately,” someone said.
Others complained about the lack of bathrooms in the national park.
“I kind of agree that YNP should provide compostable toilets at these ‘day hike’ locations like Rancheria Falls,” someone said.
Others reminded those complaining about bathrooms that they need to pack out whatever they pack into the park.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for litter,” someone said.
This story was originally published July 11, 2024 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Gross ‘surprise’ soils ‘majestic wilderness’ in Yosemite National Park, photo shows."
