Today, Yellowstone National Park announced an incident in which a teen became severely burned at a thermal area. On Monday, a 17-year-old male was hiking in the Lone Star Geyser when his foot “broke through the thin crust.” Yellowstone does not explicitly clarify whether or not the teen was in a place he was not supposed to be.
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“The juvenile was on a hike in the thermal area when his foot broke through the thin crust and he suffered burns to a lower extremity,” Yellowstone officials wrote in its press release. “Emergency medical staff responded and transported the patient to a hospital for further treatment. This incident is under investigation and there is no additional information to share.”
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Yellowstone further provides advice to visitors of thermal areas, saying they should stay on established boardwalks and trails and avoid touching or entering hot springs. “Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas,” the park adds. “If you begin to feel sick while exploring one of our geyser basins, leave the area immediately.”
According to the park, this is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2025. The last reported incident was in September 2024.
See Yellowstone’s social-media post about the teen who got burned at Yellowstone here:
Header stock image of the Lone Star Geyser by candylouhou/Getty Images
