Most Yellowstone springs are so hot or noxious that soaking in them could kill you, but the Boiling River is a delightful exception. This fiery hot spring enters the Gardiner River two miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs, where the cooler water tempers the spring’s temperature to a just-right 104 degrees F. It’s a half-mile walk from the parking area to the soaking zone, where people have stacked river stones into little dams that help concentrate the steamy spring water into soaking pools. They’re understandably popular, so if you want solitude, arrive at sunrise (Boiling River is closed from dusk till dawn) and listen to the river’s current as you melt into the mist.
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Boiling River, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Most Yellowstone springs are so hot or noxious that soaking in them could kill you, but the Boiling River is a delightful exception. This fiery hot spring enters the Gardiner River two miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs, where the cooler water tempers the spring’s temperature to a just-right 104 degrees F. It’s a half-mile walk from the parking area to the soaking zone, where people have stacked river stones into little dams that help concentrate the steamy spring water into soaking pools. They’re understandably popular, so if you want solitude, arrive at sunrise (Boiling River is closed from dusk till dawn) and listen to the river’s current as you melt into the mist.
