Waterfalls cascading down the hillside are a wonder to behold, though most are best observed from a safe distance. The closer you get, the more likely you are to slip and fall on the wet rocks. In fact, falling is one of the biggest dangers in national parks, and many people have died after falling at the edge of a waterfall and then getting pulled under, including a 25-year-old earlier this summer at Rocky Mountain National Park. So when a video surfaced of a mom taking her young daughter over trail boundaries and near the edge of a raging waterfall, the internet had a lot to say.
The video was captured by park visitor Christina Michelle, who was walking below the waterfall when she saw a mom and daughter—who didn't appear to have proper hiking shoes—making their way to the rocky edge of the falls. The incident occurred in Olympic National Park in Washington state, near what appears to be Sol Duc Falls (where a man fell over three waterfalls and more than 70 feet in 2016).
In her video, which was shared on the Instagram account Tourons of National Parks, you can hear Michelle yelling at the woman and her daughter to get away from the edge of the waterfall and to come back down. There's no indication that the woman and her daughter can hear her.
They appear to pose for a picture with the waterfall in the background, then proceed to inch closer to the edge. The mom does have her hand on her daughter almost the entire time. The man who took their picture (presumably the dad) heads down toward the end of the video, holding on to branches and rocks as he works his way to them.
The video drew a lot of mixed feelings from viewers. Some people wondered what the big deal was, noting that they had been to the same waterfall and other similar waterfall hikes numerous times and stood on the edge to see the water. One viewer commented that it's not nearly as steep as it looks and that as long as you watch your footing, you're fine. But they did add, "Great idea to bring the kids down? Maybe not."
Another commenter highlighted the crux of the issue: "It's about their safety. When it says don't get off trails, there's a reason." She gave an example from another park: "In Utah, there are small red dirt mounds with dark specks on top. It disperses water to the plants. You step on them, and it loses its point. So you are hurting the environment. An environment that has spent hundreds and thousands of years to make."
A surprising number of commenters dismissed the incident by saying she was likely not aware of the level of danger and that she was trying to have a nice moment with her daughter and make memories. But a commenter who has been to the park pointed out, "People are aware. There's signs, pamphlets, and other informative info all over the parks about this." She also said there are signs telling people to stay on the trails.
The National Park Service has a clear stance on people doing their own thing in the park. "Olympic is a wilderness park filled with natural wonders and potential hazards," the National Park Service (NPS) warns visitors. "Your safety is not guaranteed. Regulations are strictly enforced to protect you and the park's resources."
Sol Duc Falls is just one of 25 waterfalls in the park. Of course, the park service encourages visitors to explore them all, but within reason.
"What's the rush? (Besides the water.) If you're exploring a waterfall, make sure to know the potential hazards," the NPS says. "Keep a safe distance from the edge, avoid slippery rocks, wear stable shoes (flippy floppies may lead to slippy sloppies), and always watch your footing."
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