GREAT FALLS — Officials at Yellowstone National Park say that a 17-year-old male sustained "significant thermal burns" to his foot and ankle area. It happened in the vicinity of Lone Star Geyser on Monday, July 28, 2025.
Watch the report:
A news release says the teen was on a hike in the thermal area when his foot broke through the thin crust and he sustained burns to a lower extremity.
Emergency medical staff responded and took him to a hospital for further treatment.
Park officials are investigating the incident; no other details have been released.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2025. The last reported incident was in September 2024, when a woman sustained second- and third-degree burns; click here for details.
Several people have been injured or cited in recent years after venturing too close to thermal areas in the park.
- Woman sustains 'significant' thermal burns
- Child burned after falling into thermal feature
- Woman sentenced for walking on thermal area
Visitors to the park are cautioned to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and use extreme caution.
The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface.
In addition, pets are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The Yellowstone National Park website provides the following information about safety around thermal features:
- Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks.
- Do not touch thermal features or runoff.
- Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited. More than 20 people have died from burns in Yellowstone’s hot springs.
- Pets are prohibited in thermal areas.
- Do not throw objects into hot springs or other hydrothermal features.
- Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If you begin to feel sick while exploring geyser basins, leave the area immediately.
