Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs, in the Hayden Valley part of Yellowstone, is a geyser as much as a spring; Wikipedia knows it as Sulphur Spring or Crater Hills Geyser. Near-boiling on record. About a mile's walk west of the Grand Loop Road. Gallatin County, Park Service land, open, with West Yellowstone the town listed nearest.
Nine tenths of a mile from the Grand Loop Road, in the Crater Hills area of Hayden Valley. Elevation around 7,800 feet. The climate on record is cold and comparatively dry for the park, snow near ten and a half feet. National park land, no further designation on file. Wikipedia places it about a mile west of the road, which agrees with the distance on record.
Near-boiling at the vent. Keep off the ground around it. The record rates December through February as best, which here means over-snow travel to a short walk. Tower Fall Campground is seventeen miles away, the nearest camp on record. No fee listed.
Wikipedia describes Sulphur Spring, also called Crater Hills Geyser, as a geyser in the Crater Hills area of Hayden Valley. It gives a vent temperature of 192 degrees and a spring temperature of about 176, a distinction worth noting since the figure on record is close to the vent reading.
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 Sulphur 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
- Valley floor
- Gentle slopes rise on both sides.
- Highest ground nearby
- 135 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the northeast
A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
Landsat's thermal camera passed over on a clear winter day, January 31, 2024. This spring's heat shows up from about 440 miles up. The brightest yellow marks the warmest ground, roughly 28°F warmer than the land around it.
Drag to compare. The view is about 2½ miles across, and each thermal pixel covers roughly 300 feet of ground, so individual pools blur into one warm patch.
Thermal: Landsat 8/9 surface temperature, USGS (public domain), via Microsoft Planetary Computer. Aerial: USGS The National Map. More springs seen from space.
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 Tower Fall Campground—elevation 6,600 feet (2012 m)—is on the north side of the steep, winding, road to Dunraven Pass. The campground is near the Tower General Store and Tower Fall. The Lamar Valley, with spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities, is nearby as are several Day Hikes in the Tower and Northeast Area. Roosevelt Lodge, a short drive from the campground, offers dining and horseback riding. For reservations at the campgrounds managed by Yellowstone National Park Lodges (F...
Sulphur Springs sits at 7,805 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 31% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Sulphur Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water is dangerously hot, so bring water shoes and test pools carefully. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Springs Near Sulphur Springs
More Springs Around 194°F
Hike 6 waterfalls near Sulphur Springs
Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Sulphur Springs, Wyoming.