Pierce Brosnan pleads not guilty to hiking off trail in Yellowstone thermal area

Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has pleaded not guilty for allegedly venturing too close to danger.

He was charged with illegally entering Yellowstone National Park's thermal area, where temperatures in acidic hot springs can reach near boiling.

The 70-year-old was initially scheduled to appear in court on 23 January for the 1 November incident.

However, a Wyoming judge granted his request for a virtual hearing on 20 February.

A US attorney for Wyoming cited Brosnan over two alleged infractions.

One was for walking into a restricted thermal area, the other for wandering into Mammoth Terraces, a hilly conglomerate of hot springs near the northern boundary of Yellowstone.

Mammoth Terraces is one of the park's hundreds of thermal features, which vary from spouting geysers to gurgling mud pots, and water soaring up to 175F (79.4C).

Though dangerous, the area is also delicate. It can take years to correct damage to the springs.

Federal rules require national parks visitors to stay on designated walkways, and violations are punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 (£3,946).

A personal photo uploaded to an Instagram account mocking Yellowstone's "tourons" (tourist morons) appeared to show Brosnan in sunglasses and a brim hat posing by the snow-encrusted springs.

The BBC has reached out to Brosnan for comment.

The action star is not the only one to have trekked off course to experience Yellowstone's beauty.

Millions of people visit Yellowstone each year. At least 22 have died from burns sustained from the park's springs and geysers.

Brosnan had been in nearby Montana filming The Unholy Trinity, a Western film where he stars as a sheriff alongside Samuel L Jackson.

In addition to his four James Bond films, Brosnan also starred in the 1980s TV series Remington Steele and is known for major roles in the films Mrs Doubtfire and The Thomas Crown Affair.