Yellowstone waters can be boiling or freezing — but tourists keep jumping in, NPS says

Yellowstone National Park is not a place to test the waters, and park officials are urging visitors to stop trying to swim where it’s prohibited.

Jumping into unknown and prohibited waters at Yellowstone could land you in scalding, boiling water or frigid snow melt. This year, people are swimming and soaking in prohibited waters more than usual, the park said in a Facebook post Thursday.

“This summer, we have had a surge in visitors wading in waters that are closed for their own safety and the protection of unique park resources,” park officials said. “Yellowstone is not a safe place for swimming or soaking because of frigid lakes, swift rivers, and scalding or worse hydrothermal waters.”

The water in some parts of the park can be so hot, people have died after falling in.

In 2016, an Oregon man may have dissolved after trying to soak in a thermal area. Workers couldn’t find any remains, and park rangers believe he dissolved from the dangerously hot water, the Associated Press reported.

Last fall, a 48-year-old man was hospitalized with “severe burns to a significant portion of his body” from falling into scalding-hot water near Old Faithful Geyser, McClatchy News reported.

On top of the differing temperatures, Yellowstone waters can be infested with organisms that can make people sick.

“All thermal waters contain organisms that may cause illness, including skin rash, gastrointestinal illness (vomiting and diarrhea), or other infections that can be life-threatening,” Yellowstone officials said. “The risk of contracting these infections in Yellowstone is not known to be higher than any other natural body of thermal water.”

Because it is so dangerous, swimming in the Firehold River at Midway Geyser Basin and in the Firehole River throughout the Upper Geyser Basin is off limits, Yellowstone officials said.

“Entering these areas — besides being dangerous — can also end up resulting in fines,” park officials said.

If a guest wants to soak in Yellowstone waters, there is a designated swimming area where the waters from Boiling River and Gardner River mix. It can be swift, and the footing can be slippery, but it is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. once the river levels drop during the summer, Yellowstone said on its website.

There is also the Firehole Swim Area on the Firehold River, about 2 miles south of Madison Junction.

“The river is usually closed to swimming until mid-summer due to high water and strong currents,” Yellowstone’s website said. “During years with significant snowpack and runoff, the swim area may remain closed for the entire season.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Yellowstone waters can be boiling or freezing — but tourists keep jumping in, NPS says."