Wolf Lake Springs
Wolf Lake Springs comes out at soaking temperature, low nineties, in the Yellowstone National Park backcountry, a little over two miles from the nearest road, with West Yellowstone the nearest town at around eight miles. The water is mild, warm enough to sit in without harm from the heat, and slightly acidic according to a 2007 sample. The Park Service lists access as open. Whether soaking is allowed there is a separate question the record does not answer.
A bit above 8,000 feet. Getting there means hiking slightly more than two miles, and no road name is recorded for the start point. Snow runs well over ten feet a winter, and across the year it averages near freezing. Precipitation sits in the moderate range. Everything here is National Park Service land inside the national park.
Midwinter heads the list of best months on file, which with this much snow at this elevation makes the two-mile walk something else entirely, so check conditions first. Indian Creek Campground is the nearest camping in the record, around thirteen miles. The temperature is comfortable for soaking, though the reading dates from a June 2007 sample, so expect it to vary. No fee is on file.
USGS hasn't flown a detailed laser scan here yet, so this view comes from aerial photos and older elevation data.
The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Gentle slope
- The ground tilts gently up to the south.
- Highest ground nearby
- 78 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 about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 74% 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 Wolf Lake Springs is slightly acidic (pH 5.9).
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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 8,020 feet, Wolf Lake 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 32% stronger here. Wear sunscreen even on overcast days and take breaks from the water to rehydrate.
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Wolf Lake Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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