YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — A 60-year-old New Hampshire woman suffered second and third-degree burns to her lower leg while visiting Yellowstone National Park Monday afternoon.

She was walking off-trail in a thermal area near Mallard Lake Trailhead at Old Faithful with her husband and a leashed dog when she broke through a thin crust over scalding water. Her husband and dog were not injured.

The woman and her husband went to a park medical clinic where they were evaluated, and the patient was later transported via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for further treatment.

Park staff are reminding visitors to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in these areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface, the Yellowstone public affairs office stated. Additionally, pets are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas at the park.

This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024.