MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS — A 17-year-old boy was burned after his foot broke the crust at a thermal area near Old Faithful Monday.

Yellowstone National Park officials say the boy suffered significant thermal burns to his foot and ankle area in the vicinity of Lone Star Geyser near Old Faithful.

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. Emergency medical staff responded and transported the patient to a hospital for further treatment. This incident is under investigation.

Officials are urging visitors to stay away from the thermal areas.

Officials said boardwalks and trails protect people and delicate thermal formations. Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs.

• Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Visitors should keep children close and not let them run on boardwalks.
• People should not touch thermal features or runoff.
• Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited. More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into 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. People who begin to feel sick while exploring one of the geyser basins should leave the area immediately.

This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2025. The last reported incident occurred in September 2024.