Juvenile gets burned near geyser in Yellowstone National Park

On Monday morning, a 17-year-old male suffered what Yellowstone National Park officials say are “significant thermal burns” to his foot and ankle area in the vicinity of Lone Star Geyser near Old Faithful.

The man was hiking in the thermal area when his foot broke through the thin crust, and he suffered burns, according to a news release from the park. Emergency medical staff responded and transported the patient to a hospital for further treatment. This incident is under investigation.

It marks the first known “thermal injury” in the park in 2025. The last reported incident occurred in September 2024.

Lone Star Geyser is one of the most famous and regularly erupting geysers in the park, according to T. Scott Bryan’s “The Geysers of Yellowstone.” It erupts approximately every three hours.

It is also one of the most recognizable geysers because of its unique cone, which is more than 9 feet tall.

According to Bryan, the geyser becomes active every 60 to 90 minutes after an eruption, making splashing and gurgling sounds, followed usually by a minor eruption, a major eruption, then often a series of smaller eruptions, before becoming seemingly dormant and then repeating the cycle. The eruptions last about five minutes, and the geyser can spray water as high as 45 feet into the air. The eruption and steam can often be heard as far as a mile away.

Staying safe around thermal areas

Park officials remind visitors to stay safe around thermal areas, which include pools, mud pots, geysers and vents.

Those instructions include staying on boardwalks and trails. Staying on them is a protection for both visitors and the delicate thermal formations. Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs.

• 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 you begin to feel sick while exploring one of our geyser basins, leave the area immediately.