YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has reported its first thermal injury of the year.
A 17-year-old male suffered “significant thermal burns” to his foot and ankle near Lone Star Geyser (southeast of Old Faithful) on Monday morning, July 28, according to a Tuesday announcement by the park.
“The juvenile was on a hike in the thermal area when his foot broke through the thin crust and he suffered burns to a lower extremity,” YNP’s statement reads. “Emergency medical staff responded and transported the patient to a hospital for further treatment. This incident is under investigation and there is no additional information to share.”
According to YNP’s website, the Lone Star Geyser Trail is a “pleasant, partially paved trail” following an old service road alongside the Firehole River. The geyser erupts approximately every three hours to heights as tall as 45 feet from a 12-foot cone.
YNP advises visitors to follow the following safety precautions in thermal areas to protect themselves as well as the delicate thermal features.
- Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks.
- Do not touch thermal features or runoff.
- Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited. More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs.
- Pets are prohibited in thermal areas.
- Do not throw objects into hot springs or other hydrothermal features.
- Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If a visitor begins to feel sick while exploring one of the geyser basins, they should leave the area immediately.
The last thermal incident reported in Yellowstone happened in September of 2024, when a 60-year-old woman sustained second and third-degree burns on her legs while walking off-trail in a thermal area near Mallard Lake Trailhead, which is also in the Old Faithful region of the park.
