Highland Hot Springs
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
Highland Hot Springs sits deep in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park, six miles or so out from the Norris-Canyon Road, in Gallatin County, Wyoming. Hot is all the record says; nobody measured it. Nobody has sampled the water or photographed it. Nine miles out lies West Yellowstone, the closest town in the record. Park Service land with open access, and a long walk either way.
Norris-Canyon Road ends up a bit over six miles away, and how you cover that ground is not written down anywhere. The elevation runs high, near 8,180 feet. Cold year round, and the snow stacks up to roughly a hundred and forty-five inches. This is National Park Service backcountry in Yellowstone.
No best months recorded. With this much snow, reachability depends on the park's backcountry rules and on the seasonal road status. Indian Creek Campground, a little under twenty miles out, is the camping nearest to it. The temperature has never been measured, so do not build a soak into the plan, and keep out of the water until you know what it is.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Highland Hot Springs.
- Setting
- Open ground
- Flat, open ground all around.
- Highest ground nearby
- 31 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the west
A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 77% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Overview Located about eight miles (13 km) south of Mammoth Hot Springs on the road to Norris, Indian Creek Campground—elevation 7,300 feet (2225 m)—sits near the base of the Gallatin Mountains and offers breathtaking views of Electric Peak. The area offers easy access to fishing and hiking. The campground is away from the main road and provides a quieter, more primitive, experience than many other locations. For reservations at the campgrounds managed by Yellowstone National Park Lodges (Fi...
At 8,181 feet, Highland Hot Springs is in high-altitude territory where the air is noticeably thinner. Soaking in hot water accelerates dehydration and can amplify altitude effects like headache and fatigue. UV radiation is roughly 33% stronger here. Wear sunscreen even on overcast days and take breaks from the water to rehydrate.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Highland Hot Springs requires a hike to reach, so pack light but prepared. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Springs Near Highland Hot Springs
Hike 6 waterfalls near Highland Hot Springs
Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Highland Hot Springs, Wyoming.