Stay on the path — especially when wildlife is nearby.
Tensions flared among visitors at Montana’s Glacier National Park after two tourists allegedly stepped off a designated hiking trail and got too close to a group of mountain goats.
The men, dressed casually in Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops and sunglasses, drew sharp criticism from other hikers after climbing a hillside for a closer look at four goats, including a young kid.
“You’re off the trail; the rangers can fine you,” one hiker called out to the unidentified tourists, according to video recorded by NBC Montana in August.
One of the men fired back, shouting, “Shut up, the goats go on that trail too, idiot.”
The confrontation quickly escalated as hikers who stayed on the marked route continued scolding the pair. One of the off-trail tourists was also seen carrying a soccer ball during the rugged Rocky Mountain outing.
At one point, one of the men snapped, “Shut up bitch! You’re just jealous because you didn’t f–king hike this.”
The heated exchange unfolded near Hidden Lake Overlook, one of Glacier National Park’s most visited viewpoints along the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road.
As the men descended the incline, the goats continued along their path, escaping from the loud yelling humans.
“You’ll find out, you’ll find out,” one of the men shouted, threatening a physical fight.
The two underdressed men were labeled as “tourons” by social media users, a term used by National Park goers for moronic tourists.
“What is your f–king problem dude? Oh, you’re off the trail. I will f–k you up,” the guy yelled as the two approached the man who first confronted them.
The argument continued as two of the men squared up to throw punches while the hiker carrying the soccer ball armed himself with a large rock in his other hand.
Suddenly, the hiker who didn’t leave the trail grabbed a rock of his own, scaring the other men to back up as they pleaded for him not to throw anything at them.
“Are we gonna do this motherf–ker, the floral shirt man said as he picked up a stick to counter any possible rock throw.
“Get the f–k out of here,” he shouted as he and his buddy walked away in a huff.
Glacier National Park Conservancy’s urges hikers to keep their distance from the wildlife, including mountain goats.
“Approaching, viewing, or engaging in any activity within 100 yards of bears or wolves, or within 25 yards of any other wildlife is prohibited. Stay on designated trails and don’t go beyond protective fencing or guardrails,” the organization’s website says.
Glacier National Park also prohibits hikers from going off the trail in heavy-use areas, including Logan Pass, where the Hidden Lake Trail begins.
The expansive national park that borders Canada has been plagued by several severe accidents and wildlife encounters this summer.
Last month, 60-year-old Ken Nurse was hospitalized after he fell off a 120-foot cliff into a creek but survived after a good Samaritan performed CPR on him.
In July, Rex Schowengerdt, 73, was killed when a 45-pound rock crashed through his car while he was driving through the park with his wife.
Catholic Deacon Antony Pollio was killed in a grizzly bear mauling while he hiked the Mt. Brown Lookout trail back on May 3.
Another hiker, Daniel Crago, survived a similar bear attack on May 28 while he was hiking with his friend along the popular Grinnell Glacier trail.
The wild, caught-on-camera confrontation comes months after a Yellowstone visitor got too close to a bull bison, leading the wild animal to charge at him.
Carl Isom-McDaniel, a 65-year-old grandfather, suffered a broken femur when he was flung 8 feet into the air during the violent encounter at the Bridge Bay Campground in Wyoming on July 10.
The Washington native said his family saw the bison lying down and didn’t think it was aggressive until it began chasing him around a group of trees before flinging him into the air.
