Pierce Brosnan Pleads Not Guilty to Illegal Hiking Charges

Pierce Brosnan's not caving to the federal government ... fighting two charges he hiked into a restricted area at Yellowstone National Park.

The actor entered a not guilty plea for two illegal hiking charges on January 4 after he was cited for allegedly wandering into a "delicate" hot springs at the park in Wyoming.

The judge granted PB's request to cancel his initial court appearance and set up a virtual conference for February 20.

As we previously reported ... authorities cited 007 last month for allegedly going off-trail near Mammoth Hot Springs on November 1 -- violating several closures.

The proof seems to be in the pics here too ... Brosnan appears to have forgotten his lessons in spy secrecy, posting photos that look like they're from the off-limits area. He was up in Wyoming filming his new Western "The Unholy Trinity."

The hot springs are off-limits to tourists for a reason ... they're super fragile and can take years to correct if damaged -- not to mention the people who have died from falling into the boiling/acidic springs

Colin Nathaniel Scott is just one example ... authorities think he dissolved in the pool waters -- only slightly higher on the pH scale than stomach acid -- after venturing off-trail in 2015.

If found guilty, Pierce might see a $5,000 fine ... or even six months of hard time.

James Bond might have a license to kill, but even he's gotta stay on the designated trails!