WASHINGTON — Actor Pierce Brosnan was cited for allegedly trespassing in forbidden areas of Yellowstone National Park near the thermal areas where the park's hot springs, geysers and mudpots sit.
Court documents show Brosnan was cited on Nov. 1 for "foot travel in a thermal area" at the park. He was also issued a closure violation for Mammoth Terraces — an area in the national park where numerous tiny, shallow pools sit on ledges of many different levels.
The closure violation simply alleges that the actor was in a restricted area, while the more specific foot travel violation indicates he is accused of entering a site with potentially dangerous water features.
Court documents show Brosnan must appear in court on Jan. 23 on the charges. Getting too close to the geysers at Yellowstone can result in punishments of thousands of dollars in fees or months in jail.
But fines and jail sentences aren't the only danger for leaving the trails in Yellowstone. The park's website points out that the thermal features found around the area are potentially deadly, and people have been seriously injured or killed by falling into them.
"In thermal areas, the ground may be only a thin crust above boiling hot springs, and there is no way to guess where a safe path is," the park's website says. "New hazards can bubble up overnight, and pools are acidic enough to burn through boots, so you must stay in designated walking areas."
Around the Yellowstone geysers, the park service has erected boardwalks to keep tourists safe.
The Mammoth Hot Springs, which are nestled in the Mammoth Terraces — where Brosnan is alleged to have gone — have largely decreased in activity in recent years, with many pools dried up. There are multiple walking and hiking paths through the terraces, and it's unclear where along those paths Brosnan allegedly disembarked for the restricted area.
Brosnan is an Irish actor best known for his role in numerous films as the classic spy, James Bond. Brosnan played 007 in "GoldenEye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "The World is Not Enough," and "Die Another Day" between 1995 and 2002.
He also played Sam Carmichael in "Mama Mia!" in 2008.