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Yellowstone National Park partially reopened Monday, weeks after its March 24 closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Eager visitors flocked to the popular national park on opening day. The deluge of people -- thousands of them, according to The Guardian -- reportedly lined up in their cars on the highway, staring at 5:30 a.m., for the noon reopening.
But as the excited nature enthusiasts took advantage of the partially opened park and now-waived entrance fees, there was one thing they reportedly were not doing: following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols for social distancing and wearing face coverings.
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“We checked the webcam at Old Faithful at about 3.30 p.m. yesterday,” Kristin Brengel, the senior vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, told The Guardian. “Not much physical distancing happening and not a single mask in sight.”
According to The Guardian, rangers had to disperse visitors from congregating in groups, multiple times.
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The park, which is in the first phase of its reopening, encourages guests to “provide others with plenty of room in accordance with CDC social distancing guidelines of 6 feet, and cover your nose and mouth if safe social distancing is not possible,” as part of its multi-step safety plan, a spokesperson told Fox news.
The park, which is in the first phase of its reopening, encourages guests to “provide others with plenty of room in accordance with CDC social distancing guidelines of six feet," among other safety precautions. (iStock)
The limited Phase 1 reopening, of a three-phase plan, also keeps intact bans on overnight accommodations, as well as backcountry permits, tours, boating, fishing, visitor centers and other facilities and services.
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Wyoming, where most of Yellowstone is located, has lifted out-of-state quarantine orders. However, Montana and Idaho, where the park’s other entrances are located, have not lifted their 14-day quarantine mandate for out-of-state visitors, meaning the West, North and Northeast entrances to the park remain closed.
A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News’ Janine Puhak contributed to this report.