North Buffalo Fork Springs
A hot spring in the Teton National Forest, north of Jackson by about forty miles and then a long way on foot. North Buffalo Fork Springs comes out hot, above the range most people would sit in for long, and the access record lists it as open. Teton County, Forest Service ground. Jackson is the nearest settlement of any size, so plan on a full day at minimum.
Turpin Meadow Loop is the road on record, and from there the spring is four and a half miles of walking. High country, well above seven thousand feet. Winters bury this drainage; the snow total on file runs close to two hundred inches, and the year as a whole is wet by Wyoming standards. Open national forest, with no designation beyond that.
The record, oddly, marks December through February as the best months, which is hard to square with that snowpack and an approach of more than four miles. Plan for summer unless you ski. The water comes out hot, so take getting in slowly. Pinnacles Campground is the closest camp listed, around fifteen miles off. Treat the chemistry as historical, since it is decades old.
The USGS carries a site record for this spring, and the water chemistry on file dates from June 1992.
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 North Buffalo Fork 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.
- Setting
- Hillside
- The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the south.
- Highest ground nearby
- 295 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the south
A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 4% 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.
The water at North Buffalo Fork Springs is slightly acidic (pH 6.5). It is notably rich in calcium (may support bone density and joint health) and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
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This campground hosts 21 campsites with dramatic views near Brooks Lake. Angling and flyfishing opportunities are nearby, with a boat ramp at Brooks Lake. Fantastic geologic formations at Pinnacle Butte can be seen on the drive in to the campground. Maximum spur 32 feet.Picnic tables, fire rings, bear boxes, and garbage collection are available.This site is not accessible to those with mobility impairments.
North Buffalo Fork Springs sits at 7,420 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 30% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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North Buffalo Fork Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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