A pair of Philadelphia women served two days in jail and have been banned from Yellowstone National Park for walking on and damaging a thermal area earlier this month.

Tara L. Davoli, 31, and Sarah A. Piotrowski, 30, were spotted walking off the boardwalk near Opal Pool on June 11. The women’s unauthorized stroll in the park’s Midway Geyser Basin reportedly damaged the orange bacterial mats that surround the pool.

“Multiple witnesses observed the two walking on the feature and confronted them in an effort to get them to stop,” said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming. A park ranger issued the women citations for being off trail in a thermal area and required them to appear in court in Mammoth Hot Springs on Tuesday.

At that hearing, Piotrowski and Davoli pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor counts against them.
Federal District Court Magistrate Judge Mark Carman ordered them to each serve two days in jail and pay a $390 in fines and fees plus $106.92 in restitution for the damage they caused to Opal Pool.

“The amount of restitution was based on a damage assessment conducted by the Yellowstone geologist and a thermal research crew,” explained the release from prosecutors.

Davoli and Piotrowski were also placed on two years of unsupervised release. During that time, they must obey the law and stay out of Yellowstone.

Wyoming’s U.S. attorney, Mark Klaassen, publicized the case in a Thursday news release, shortly after the women were set to complete their jail time.

“The rules in our national parks are there for a reason — to protect visitors and the natural beauty we all want to experience and enjoy. Just taking a few steps off the boardwalk in a thermal area may seem harmless, but it can really damage the ecosystem and potentially put visitors in danger,” Klaassen said. “We support the National Park Service and Park Rangers who work to enforce these rules so we can all continue to enjoy amazing places like Yellowstone and preserve the park for future generations.”

Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said the park appreciates the support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“The successful investigation and prosecution of these types of cases help prevent future degradation of resources committed by irresponsible visitors,” Sholly said in the release.