On one of the busiest days of the year when it comes to tourists in Yellowstone National Park, the Fourth of July turned exciting for many in Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful, as two haz-mat scares summoned fears of terrorism in America's Oldest National Park.

In an event that lives up to the maxim “better safe than sorry,” yesterday a restroom in Mammoth Hot Springs was closed due to hazardous materials. Well, not really. Several visitors at a restroom known as “Big John” experienced respiratory problems after encountering a thick, pungent yellow paste. The restroom was closed at 9:30 a.m. for investigation and a Bozeman haz-mat crew was summoned, but according to park rangers the substance was not dangerous.

While it’s always good to report these things in the event of a real danger, sometimes it’s just paranoia. At the same time, a powdery white substance was reported in a shop at Old Faithful, leading some people to conclude Yellowstone was suffering from a haz-mat attack. The substance in question? Just some baby powder. --Sean Reichard