Climber Using Instagram to Keep Tabs on Wrongdoers at Yellowstone

Dangerous and illegal activity is increasing at Yellowstone National Park amid the government shutdown, as visitors have taken to extreme sports in lieu of proper supervision. But one adventurer is using social media to combat wrongdoers.

Instagrammer Keeping Tabs on Illegal Activity

Charles Winstead, who goes by @bigwalltrailrunner on Instagram, has recently posted a series of videos of Yellowstone tourists engaging in risky behavior, including some using parachutes to BASE jump off of the legendary rock formations. "Base jumpers coming off [El Capitan] in the middle of the day," he said of the mountain, which is twice as tall as the Empire State Building. "Must be taking advantage of the government shutdown to get away with it…Definitely feeling some freedom to flout the rules due to the shutdown.”

“You hear them before you see them,” Winstead told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Then the parachute pops and there’s no more noise."

Parks Will "Remain Accessible" During Shutdown

The National Parks Service (NPS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Men’s Journal. However, a spokesperson told Outside magazine that “base jumping is illegal in all national parks, including Yosemite.” On its website, the NPS notes that all parks will "remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown," but "some services may be limited or unavailable."

"Due to the dramatic differences in accessibility, operations, size, visitation, location, and infrastructure represented in national park sites, the number of employees required to carry out the excepted activities defined above will vary from site to site,” the service said. “Excepted [sic] staffing will be held to the amount needed for the protection of life, property, and public health and safety."

NPS Disputes Claims

However, BASE jumpers are not the only cause for concern in the park. The grounds of Yellowstone have also become a haven for squatters during the government shutdown. “There are lots of squatters in the campgrounds,” one Yosemite employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told SFGATE. “There are lots of people that truly believe they can do whatever they want because of the lack of rangers. They’ve told us.”

But an NPS spokesperson disputed that representation in a statement to USA Today. "Law enforcement rangers and campground personnel continue to monitor visitor use, respond to incidents, and enforce park regulations. Reports suggesting that campgrounds are unmonitored or that widespread squatting is occurring are inaccurate."