The hot springs within Yellowstone are far too hot to enjoy. Even a dip of a tow could result in serious burns. Please pay attention to signage and do not touch the scalding waters of Yellowstone. There are a few places where hot waters flow into cool rivers, making a warm area to swim and soak.
The hottest springs in the deepest part of the lake, at 125 m (410 ft) below the water, have a temperature of 174 °C (345 °F). Hot springs in the ocean are even deeper and under more water pressure and, therefore, they have temperatures of up to 400 °C (750 °F)!
No matter where you're swimming, avoiding water below 70 degrees Fahrenheit is a good rule of thumb for the average swimmer. The truth of the matter, though, is that 70 degrees is still pretty chilly. You'll probably have a better time if you wait for warmer water. In fact, you'll be safer, too.
Over 20 people have died after falling into Yellowstone's hot springs, or after having become severely burned after touching one. The park's hot springs are one of the park's most dangerous features. However, deaths are still an incredibly rare event.
The third largest spring in the world, the Grand Prismatic is bigger than a football field at 370 feet in diameter. A gridiron is 360 feet long and 160 feet wide. The hot spring has bright bands of orange, yellow, and green ring the deep blue waters in the spring.
Then, with the work of Mother Nature, the Boiling River ceased to exist as we know it as historic flooding in 2022 destroyed the area. Before and after photos show the area where the Boiling River sat is now a rocky area as the floods changed the river channel.
Abyss Pool, deepest hot spring in Yellowstone. Abyss Pool • Abyss Pool is in the West Thumb Geyser Basin and that is Yellowstone Lake in the background. It is 53-feet deep, this is the deepest pool in Yellowstone National Park.