Pierce Brosnan pleads guilty to illegal hiking at Yellowstone National Park

Actor and former 007 Pierce Brosnan has taken a plea deal in his illegal hiking case in Yellowstone National Park, just two months after entering a not-guilty plea.

The actor was charged with trespassing in an ecologically sensitive thermal area of the National Park. According to court documents obtained by the news agency TMZ, Pierce Brosnan has now pleaded guilty to one of the two illegal hiking charges brought against him. The other charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal. As a result, the James Bond actor has been fined approximately $1,540 in addition to other court costs.

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Pierce Brosnan has been charged for trespassing restricted areas of Yellowstone National Park

The incident occurred on November 1, after Pierce Brosnan allegedly wandered into a restricted area at the Mammoth Terraces, which is in the northern part of the park, near the Wyoming-Montana border.

As per park rules,

“Foot travel in all thermal areas and within the Yellowstone Canyon between the Upper Falls and Inspiration Point must be confined to boardwalks or trails that are maintained for such travel and are marked by official signs.”

According to the park officials, the Mamma Mia star allegedly ignored this and ventured into the restricted area, putting both his life and the delicate thermal ecosystem at risk. Wandering off the designated park paths can be highly dangerous, as the hot springs in the park can cause severe or fatal burns.

Pierce Brosnan’s alleged illegal activity was brought to light after he posted a few pictures from the restricted area on his Instagram account. The pictures and the incriminating location were soon spotted by TouronsOfYellowstone, an Instagram page that highlights and documents the tourists who break hiking rules in the national park, calling them “Tourist + Moron = Touron.”

As a result, Pierce Brosnan was charged on two accounts: alleged “foot travel in a thermal area” and a “closure violation” at the Wyoming park. He was facing a fine of up to $5,000 or even six months of jail time if he was found guilty. The 2.22-million-acre park is notable, in part, for its more than 10,000 thermal geographic features, including geysers, hot springs, and steam vents. Millions of people visit Yellowstone each year, and some of them get badly burned by ignoring warnings not to stray off the trail.

The actor had initially pleaded not guilty, but it appears that he had enough of the multiple court dates and finally took the plea deal and had to pay up $1,540.

The popular Yellowstone National Park, which spans over 2.22 million acres, is known for its numerous geysers, hot springs, and steam vents. As per park officials, wandering off the beaten track can be severely dangerous, if not deadly. Water in hot springs may "cause severe or fatal burns," according to the park, and scorching water sits beneath "most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs."

Despite the warnings and the legal consequences, some visitors still choose to ignore the rules and suffer severe consequences. As per NBC News, the many thermal areas at Yellowstone National Park have led to the deaths of more than 20 people since 1890.