


So if you or your traveling companions need a break from another day in the park, Yellowstone Hot Springs might be a good option. A Yellowstone National Park trip requires lots of driving and honestly, after seeing so many thermal features, they all start to look the same. Climbing, diving, or jumping from the cliffs or from trees in the area is prohibited.National Parks are amazing – especially Yellowstone because there is so much to see and do! But like everything in life, there can be too much of a good thing.Use of soap, shampoo, conditioner or any other substance is prohibited (even if it’s biodegradable).Cans, bottles, and plastic containers are prohibited in the swim area. The Firehole Swim area is closed at night. Swimming is only permitted during designated hours.Water wings are allowed and life jackets are recommended. Check our current conditions page for status.

During years with significant snowpack and runoff, the swim area may remain closed for the entire season. The river is usually closed to swimming until mid-summer due to high water and strong currents. Two vault toilets are the only facilities in the area. The Firehole Swim Area is located on the Firehole River, two miles south of Madison Junction on Firehole Canyon Drive. Currently, swimming is not possible at Boiling River because of the impacts to the river from the 2022 floods. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick. If you submerge your head, wear nose plugs or hold your nose shut. Avoid submerging your head or activities that cause water to enter your nose.To minimize the risk of illness from swimming and soaking in Yellowstone: The risk of contracting these infections in Yellowstone is not known to be higher than any other natural body of thermal water.
#Yellowstone hot springs skin
Lifeguards are not present, even at the popular swimming areas listed below.Īll thermal waters contain organisms that may cause illness, including skin rash, gastrointestinal illness (vomiting and diarrhea), or other infections that can be life-threatening. If you choose to swim in Yellowstone’s lakes or rivers, you do so at your own risk. In addition, swimming is not allowed in the Bridge Bay Marina Channel. For this reason, and to protect the park’s unusual thermal environments, soaking in hot springs is prohibited. On the other end of the temperature spectrum, the water in park hot springs often reaches the boiling point. High-elevation lakes and rivers swollen with snowmelt make for cold water where hypothermia always presents a risk. Yellowstone offers very limited opportunities to swim or soak.
