Boiling River Hot Springs

The Boiling River in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is the only legal swimming location within Yellowstone — an extraordinary geological privilege, since bathing in any other thermal spring in the park is strictly prohibited for both safety and conservation reasons. Where a large hot spring meets the Gardner River, their bicarbonate waters mix to create a zone of perfect bathing temperature in a setting of overwhelming natural grandeur, with the steam-breathing landscape of the world's first national park stretching in every direction. The rock-lined natural pools are accessible only by a short hike from the north entrance, and the experience of bathing in hot spring water flowing through an undeveloped wilderness landscape, with bison frequently grazing on the riverbanks, is unlike anything possible in a conventional spa facility. Yellowstone's 10,000 geothermal features — geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots — create the most extraordinary thermal landscape on Earth.