Reviews of Boiling River (Tourist Attraction)

James Bjork

A fantastic and refreshing experience well worth the 1/2 mile walk from parking area down to the spring. The scalding hot water mixes with the brisk cold water of the Gardner river so you can move back and forth between the two extremes. Water shoes are a good idea since walking on the river bed can be tricky and broken bottles are not unheard of.

Blaine Nelson

This is an amazing experience. It's a good hike to reach from the parking lot but it offers an amazing blend of hot and cold waters that soothe your body. A great part of Yellowstone with not many visitors

Emily Johansson

Super cool spot best early morning

Paul Neyman

People either love or hate this place. The complaints seem to fall into three categories: it's not a spa, it's crowded, it's a long walk. 1. Yes, this is not a pool where water mixes nicely to a comfortable temperature. Several scalding boiling streams pour into icy cold mountain river and immediately get picked up by a strong current. There are strategically placed rocks that form barriers that slow down the stream and form pools where you won't get carried away. Even then, as people shuffle up and down the river, they will disrupt the flow and you may get an occasional quick icy or scalding bath. Still, a very unique experience. There are two places to get into the water, the one slightly upstream is a more gentle experience. 2. Water shoes help - the bed is rocky and the stream is strong in places. Watch the kids. 3. Get there early - being so close to Mammoth and park entrance, it gets busy. Like any other popular attraction. 4. The walk is not that long, and it's flat. If you can't handle a walk this far in Yellowstone, outdoors may not be for you.

Annie Dorman

This is one if these sites that once you visit you can never forget

Anton Korniyenko

This place is absolute natural spa. It is bast to head here when you are exhausted after day of exploring Yellowstone.

bryan kass

Not my favorite hot springs because it’s hard to find the perfect temperature spot to soak in however Very unique spot, well worth visiting.

Sterling Eisenhower

The temperature switch between the hot from the geysers and the cold of the river is fun! Wear water shoes as you have to walk in the river. They help a lot.

Katrina Robinson

Crazy! One ankle hurts because it's too hot. The other hurts because it's too cold. Wear water shoes because it's rocky.

Benjamin McLean

The boiling river is a definite "must visit" of Yellowstone. It is about a 1/2 mile flat walk from the parking area to the swimming area. Once you arrive at the river, the river itself is very cold but there is boiling water flowing in. There are "sweet spots" in the river where it is about spa temperature, with cold water on one side and very hot water on the other side. The river is pretty rocky, so it is recommended that you wear water shoes (crocs). The water is also crystal clear with no moss on the rocks in the water.

Monica Latham

Great place but we're there a week ago and it was closed due to high waters.

Bryon Lohner

Please be careful of the strong current.

Brad Dixon

Very cool or should I say hot experience. Very short walk. Crowded but not horrible. Hard to find a perfect spot but when you do very nice.

Priscilla Cervantes

Love showing off the Boiling River to all my friends and family who visit Montana! It's a jewel of Yellowstone

First Last

I went here quite sometime already. I thought this was truly the highlight of my Yellowstone trip since it was a unique experience where you have to find the sweet spot to soak in where the cold water of the river and the hot spring water meets.

YB Ch

The best natural hot springs I’ve been. It’s boiling hot & freezing cold on two sides. Try find a balancing place but make sure you go to a far pool. They are nice and worth the trouble getting there. Mind that rangers are gonna come kick you out before sunset (6pm in September). Morning here is marvelous. That was a major highlight of our Yellowstone experience. Loved it. Must come.

Michael Roush Photography

A unique and truly unforgettable experience, this place is really a magical spot

Helen Bardwell

The water is certainly hot. Hidden from the main road but worth the short walk to find it.

Tayyab Anwar

Do your best to find a sweet spot of hot and cold water. It's like being in a hot tub. Would recommend!

morgan zach

One of the most interesting attractions at the park. When the two rivers converge finding the happy medium temperature is bit of a challenge and the currents were very strong.

Heidy Jimenez

Difficult to park, but worth it. The water is hot and cold. So you need to go down the river to find a spot where the water mixes into a comfortable temperature.

roy n

The combination of the hot water and cold are crazy good!

Jon Yan

May 13,t. Too high snow run off nothing to swim

T B

My favorite stop at Yellowstone National Park! It's about a ten minute walk from the main road about 2.2 miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs. You can get exact directions from the Mammoth Visitors Center, but it's very easy to find. You'll see the cars on the side of the road next to the river. Take your swimming clothes and some water shoes. We stayed in the water and soaked for over an hour. You can get from extremely cold, warm, hot and extremely hot water to soak in. It was super awesome and relaxing. We felt great after! Take the time to make this a stop while you are visiting Yellowstone, you won't be disappointed.

Andrey Shapkin

Amazing experience of mixing boiling hot and freezing cold water

Tiffany Weeks

This was so cool! Fun for all ages. You have to find just the right spot but when you do it's like sitting in a hot tub.

Sungil Ferreira

Best place to soak

Audrey Tholander

Do not go while it is dusk because you wipe be miserable! Watch for animals and be careful; other than that it is an unforgettable experience

Leo Ye

Parking spot is limited, additional parking can be found across the main road in the picnic area. Water shoes are strongly recommended.

brandon thach

Great time with my kids playing in the hot springs. They love to build their own hot tub with rocks.

Erin Mitchell

This was the highlight of our trip to Yellowstone. We went at 6 am and soaked in the water for a couple of hours. We had some elk join us. This is a must!

Michael McGuire

Great place to relax after some time hiking in the park. Once you battle the freezing spots and the scalding spots to find the goldilocks temperature its magical, especially when it's a chilly day having the cool air above and the warm water below. On a quiet day when there's few people there it's like heaven. Go barefoot or wear water shoes, if you try to walk in with flip flops you're going down.

Don Jackson

amazing hot water Springs spot as walking into the water one leg could be scalding and the other leg 40° River temperature quite an interesting experience one not to be passed out great fun for the family young children as well just have to walk carefully in the River due to some rocks are somewhat slippery but otherwise great family event..

Shady Hafez

Make sure you check this out before leaving Yellowstone and please bring water shoes, it's very rocky.

James Stranger

Love this place. Literally stay here for hours! There are no changes rooms close to the springs, so I recommend wearing your swimmers straight from the car (with extra layers if it's cold). The walk from the car to the springs is about 10-15 mins.

drwaqar anwer

Awe-inspiring place to energize the brain. Moreover, the best time to visit is winter season. Most interesting fact about the river is that it absolutely starts off as a cold stream, heats up, then cools back down slightly at night.

RIPAN BHOWMIK

Best swimming area in Yellowstone.. 5 minutes north from mammoth hot spring. Hard to find the swimming area.. there’s no sings. Parking could be challenging .. 15 minutes walk to actual swimming area. No lifeguard. Best part is hot and cold water feels like hot tub..

Charlotte Kymer

Awesome! If your nearby and enjoy spending time in the water this is the place to be. We went and checked it out our first evening in Yellowstone and enjoyed it so much we came back to soak some more first thing the next morning! It was beautiful and relaxing even in the cold weather... perhaps especially so because it was cold. My traveling companion said that soaking there made his joints feel a lot better. Don't drink the water as hotsprings contain many heat loving bacteria your body is probably not used to.

Pallavi Ghosh

Shallow and warm waters, great views, less crowded

justin white

The rocks are hard on your feet, but I haven't relaxed that much in months. Amazing experience!

Lior Singer

It is close at the spring due to high flow.

Dennis Belov

This place is great! Having one leg in ice cold water and one in 100°+ is bizzare! If you walk down to the end of where the hot spring empties there is a good spot of constant warm water.

Deesje Laméris

E-PIC !!! Just GO and be amazed. And don't forget to bring water shoes :) no words, just GO GO GO GOOOOO ♡

Anthony Randall

A must stop, attraction! Especially in the winter months when, there is plenty of amazing wildlife and views to take in!

Bob Wright

Super cool place to get in the water.

David Cy

Awesome watering hole. Trick is to find the perfect medium... not too hot, not too cold.

郭雯瑾

Truly love the hot spring. A very nice resort to relax and unwind

Melissa Lind

Fantastic natural experience. There is nothing else like it.

Michael Thompson

This place is amazing and a must do. Go find yourself a spot and just soak for an hours or so. Take in the beauty of the surrounding area and relax.

Starlight Beauties

So much fun- Yellowstone.

Francisco Garcia

Not a lot of parking. But great place

Allan X

nice place

Matt HermsenWhite

Hot spring feeds into cold river, making a huge natural hot tub. Must go!!

Christen Edwards

Awesome A true gift from God

Mohammed Alkhaldi

Ice cold water/Boiling hot water. You need to find a perfect spot!

Troy Nagao

This is one of the few places in Yellowstone that you can get into a river without freezing! A thermal feature puts out a river of hot water that mixes with the cold river water to form a small area where one can lounge. The temperature differential changes depending on the flow rate of the river and people upstream of you. There are a few pond like areas that people have made work river rock that helps.

Tyler W

Been to Yellowstone 4 times but only visited Boiling River on the most recent. Well worth stopping if you can get there at non peak hours. We swam in 50 degree weather and had no problems at all. It is critical to find the right space with a blend of river and hot water: it can be feast or famine as opposed to a steady state temperature (like Blue Lagoon In Iceland). Pack a suit and swim shoes!

icpeatr

Worth the wait for parking and the long walk! Sitting between a river and a hot spring is suprisingly enjoyable!

Christina Hallmeyer

This was absolutely worth taking the time to enjoy! there are pit toilets down by the parking lot And a path that leads you directly to where you want to be in the water

Brett Stampfli

Great adventure for me and the kids to swim in the river.

William Cayemberg

Very favorite spot in all of Yellowstone.

Deb Clif

Interesting place. We went with our 7 and 10 year old and you need to be careful for a few reasons. We went mid August when the river wasn’t too fast. But we felt we had to hold our 7 year olds hand at times. Older people had a hard time moving from place to place because of the swiftness of the river. Once you found a spot it was tricky getting the right temperature. Some areas were so hot they It felt like it could burn your skin other areas were too cold. So what you want to do is find an area with rocks that people piled up to make their own right temperature. If it’s too busy make your own little spot like we did. We spent about an hour in the river. The kids thought it was really cool but our walk back was a little rough too. Bring water shoes.

Martin Yin

Hot thermal waters mix with the cold river water to make natural spa. Make sure you bring water shoes so you can walk in the rocky river bed.

Kevin Anderson

Cool phenomenon but can be a little crowded.

Mike Fischer

Must do in Northern Yellowstone. Nature's hot tub. One foot near hot springs will be hot and your other foot in the river will be cold.

Sean Kretovics

Overall, an awesome place to visit! Here are some tips and tricks though: - It can get crowded on the summer and fall, so get their early in the morning for the best experience. The winter is a pretty awesome time to visit it, too! - It is closed in the spring due to high, fast moving water from the snowmelt. So if you show up in April or May, it will be closed. Check the NPS website for better details on this. - Bring water shoes!! Seriously though. The river is rocky and, if you go in the winter, there is snow at the river entrance. - The river entrance is about .75 mile from the parking lot to the river entrance (about a 10 minute walk). - Bring a bag with a towel and other items. There is an outdoor rack to store your things near the river entrance. The rack is not a place to store valuables. Leave those in your car. - The river itself is cold. Super cold. And the 'waterfalls' flowing into the river are hot. Super hot. So find the right balance. There are some rock formations that are nice to hang out in.

Joy K

I was exciting to try boling water. View was great, but the water was cold. It was mid of October, but weather was great.

Heather Willoughby

Great place for a dip even at sunrise but be careful not to get burnt in the hot areas of the river. Pit toilet on site for changing clothes. Easy hike in water shoes or flip flops.

Drew Haueisen

A must do when visiting Yellowstone National Park. After a short hike, we enjoyed a long soak where the icy water met the boiling springs. Even in 40° weather, we found quite a few other visitors venturing out into the water. Been here a few times and will definitely be back.

Stevie Barajas

This place is awesome! Quick notes get there early it gets busy around 10am, do bring water shoes and do bring a towel. Stay on the path and don't venture to far this is also a trout spawning area! There are little pools you can relax in …

Stephen Starr

A do not miss if you are bit adventurous. But- don't be drunk doing it, or even more stupid; at night and drunk. Fun as hell, and in space of few feet, goes from cold, hot- pleasant warm, to burn yourself alive.

Paul Williams

Must see if in this area! Scalding hot water right beside cold. Just pick your preferred spot.

Simran Jain

No. No. Nope:. Wouldn’t go here again.. First, it was super crowded. Finally got a place to park and then the water was a HUGE disappointment.. The water was either too hot, and I mean hot like hot enough to burn you, or it was tooooo cold.. there was no area where the water mixed and felt ok.. I would NOT recommend this place.. the rocks were also very slippery and it was a very long walk to the river.. there is a very big and long curve. No. Don’t come here.. move on

Ivan Delibasic

Really beautiful place.

Jane D.

It's a long walk from the parking to the river entry, which a big deal when it is 36 degrees. Very limited parking and no signs, stop in the Mammoth visitor to get directions. It is very difficult to walk on the rocks barefoot, wear water shoes.

Joshua McNeal

I came here for the first time after nearly 40 years of visiting the park. It is cool to be in the warm water mixed with the cool river water, and it is a rare opportunity to swim near the hot water of the Yellowstone thermal features. It has been stated earlier, but to emphasize remember: Parking is Minimal. You'll likely have to wait for someone to leave to find a spot, especially in mid summer. Bring water shoes. I did not research enough and did not expect the river to have such a strong current in September. My flip flops were not sufficient and were almost swept away. It is a hike to the river from the parking area. 10-15 minutes. Make sure you have shoes/water shoes. Don't try to be barefoot. Young children. I brought my 2 children ages 9 and 6. It was almost too much current for them, as well as the fluctuating temperatures in the river. This is not a hot tub, one minute you may be just fine, and then you'll be too hot, and too cold. The kids don't enjoy this as much. If I had my way I probably would not come back again, just because I am not much for swimming/hot tubbing. I come to Yellowstone to hike the geyser basins. I generally do not go to the upper loop of the Grand loop road. Not enough to see and bother with. Mammoth is the only really interesting thing to see in the upper loop in my opinion, and even then not much to see. However, it is another of many, many things to do in the park, which is what I love the most about Yellowstone. It offers so much to see, and spread out over such a large area. So many of the National parks don't have the size and amount of sights to keep so many tourists from making the park feel crowded.

יוני גרייבר

Absolutely Wow!

Marceline Eagle

Abit of a walk but I don't mind

Denise Barlock

Very nice place to have a picnic and you see wildlife. Loved our visit here and spent quite a bit of time here watching elk.

Michael Black

Very different than what I remember from the 80s. So incredibly crowded. There is very little parking and the national park folks just placed huge rocks all along the road to stop you from parking on the road.

Mike T

It's a must-see when at Yellowstone, in my opinion!

Jaime Kohnke

Went here with my son and had a blast. It was 5° outside! It's about a half mile walk to get there. There is no changing facilities so u need to wear what your going to swim in. The boiling river is where a hot spring meets the river. It's like torture in a fun way, you hit spots that are freezing cold and then spots that are super hot! You have to find a spot where it blends perfectly and the water feels great. Highly recommend visiting!

Himanshu Vajaria

An immersive experience!

Sriram Udhaya

Dont forget to take a hot spring dip..beautifully placed in between mountains ..only place you can take a dip in yellow stone..

Skye

It's a lot like taking a shower when someone keeps flushing the toilet- you're either burning hot or freezing cold when all you really want is to find a happy medium. It's actually very fun, though, although people with bad balance or difficulty walking (including the very young or old) should take extra precautions. Hint: going back upstream is harder than going downstream.

Big J

So cool. A must do while in Yellowstone

Pierre Gauzere

Fun !

Robert Ferrington

Pretty amazing river there in Yellowstone National Park.

Nick Bogert

Located just a few miles in from the North entrance. There is a parking area with a bathroom on the northeast side of the road. Very easy hike to the spring, maybe a ½ mile. Small climb from the trail down to the water. Water fluctuated …

L O

Unique experience.

John McMurray

Awesome! We've been to Yellowstone many times but recently went there for the first time... It was great! My family loved it!

Gerry Larson

I highly recommend it!

charles bailey

Such an amazing time will cherish the memory forever

Jason Richards

Awesome. The mix of hot water then cold water feels great on the muscles and skin.

Joshua Hughes

Best part of yellowstone in my opinion

Keith Loh

Very therapeutic!

Bin Yao

Loved it, so cool to have the hot spring mixing with cold river. We had a lot of fun and certainly worth a couple of hours there. There’s a bit of a hike from parking to the swimming spot, seemed like nearly a mile to me.

Pot8ters

One of Yellowstone's best unkept secrets!

SEA Gyke

The best part of Yellowstone Park!

Abhishek Modi

A unique place to visit where you can enjoy hot and cold water flows in the same river. Be aware of wild animals around.

Anton

This place is a Godsend and must do stop after a day of hiking. You will feel in heaven. And there is nothing better than seating in hot river during sunset after a long day for exploring the Yellowstone.

Yingwu Wang

perfect natual free hot spring

Salvador Menjivar

Gorgeous unexpected setting amids wild elks roaming around in the Gardiner River while you swim in allocated area wgere hot natural.spring water mixes with cold river course. Simply delightful plus a great short doable walk from car park to river. Its just a mile or so outside Gardiner and you cannot miss it as you will see parking on both sides of the road. The park has a restroom as you leave car park which is handy for changing into your swimming gear. Make sure you do it as it will only take an hour but certainly worth it.

Leighann Breeze

The best thing I did on my trip to Yellowstone! The cold water is bone-chilling but when mixed with the hot it can be really nice. The water is shallow: only about knee deep in most places where it's warm, but the current is strong. I came …

Michael Dulken

Well worth the trip from town. Not commercialized at all. Everything you're looking for in a hot spring. Be careful because it can get incredibly hot

Jodi H

Holy Hannah!! Absolutely incredible. So, the river is actually cold. However, there are areas where the hot water flows into the river and this is the big draw to tourists (and locals). Its rough to find parking but if you can, you definitely should make the attempt to sit in these hot spots. Its about a 1/2-1 mile walk on a clear path. You can bring what you can carry, no alcohol, we brought a life jacket for the youngest of us, and be ready for wildlife on the trails.

David Gou

The boiling river is a very nice place to visit in yellowstone that you shouldn't miss. The stream itself is very cold, and the waters from the hot springs are scalding. You may need to find just the right place to sit and enjoy. There is a nice walk to get to the area itself from the parking lot, however, and parking spots can be hard to find.

CJ pan

I liked it, the thing is that the steam smells bad, it is also pretty har hot

Narmada samudram

Parking gets full eventhough they have 2 lots on both sides of road. Its 10 to 15 mins walk from parking lot to the spot where you can take bath in river.

Bartosz Grobelny

Great and surprising experience

Vernon Jenkins

Used to be a great place for a relaxing soak and only a few people would hike in. Thanks to the national park putting in a maintained trail it is now over run with too many people and their undisciplined screaming banshee kids that splash water in your face. Parking lots are overcrowded and can't find a space. Have to park alongside dangerous road. College kids bring bottled alcohol in glass containers.

Sailorman Dan

Fun. Seek your own temp.

Shawn Trainor

Amazing! Great place to relax

Rayblipdar

This is an amazing place. All throughout the park you are constantly wondering about the temperature of the water and here you can get a tiny sense of how boiling hot it is. Freezing cold on one leg and scalding hot on the other. Great times.

Aleisha Beard

It's one of those experiences you should have at Yellowstone. The walk there is quite a walk! I'm in good shape, but those who struggle walking, the path is dirt & narrow. It was filled with people, but the experience was worth it. Pretty crazy to be in a river and have it been the difference of inches between Cold water & piping hot! If you sit in the sweet spots down the line it's one of the coolest hot tub experiences you can have. My nephews loved it!

Nathan Scherper

One of the best hidden gems in Yellowstone

Mary Jane Cagle

This was an awesome experience. It's about a 3/4 mile, fairly flat walk and very scenic. Be sure to take towels and water shoes. Stay to the middle even if the water is cold because to the left the water is hot hot hot! Look for the crowd in the river to find the optimal point of hot tub perfection. On our walk back, we encountered 3 elk that were in the river. Parking is very limited. There are decent outhouses too.

Karen D

Cool experience and super unique spot. It’s interesting to see/feel the intense heat of the hot river contrasted with the cold river. Both rivers are too extreme to be comfortable on their own. There is really only a small, narrow area of the water that is nice to be in. Because of this small area, be aware it may take a little walking through the cold water to find a spot to sit and relax. Additionally the ground is rocky and slippery, so you may want to wear water shoes.

Anissa Bichet

Incredible experience. A must

Sergei Prakapovich

Great experience, but you should be very carefull and don’t take your toddler with you.

Damion Phillips

Don't pass this up, I am so glad I decided to do this after a long hard day of hiking

Justin Anderson

Wonderful place to lounge in the water that has hotter and much colder places. Truly a hidden gem of Yellowstone

Robert Semple

Beautiful! An absolute must!

Michael Grinberg

Awesome place, natural hot springs where cold and hot rivers merge. Highly recommend to visit. Make sure to bring towel and water shoes.

Weston Hunn

First time in anything like this and it was great, worth the freezing cold walk and getting dressed/undressed in the cold. Water close to the spring inlet is easily hot enough to burn you.

VaDondo

Fascinating. Visited the boiling river, but didn't swim. Parking spaces are very few though. The swimming point is a short hike from the car park.

Alex Ljungren

Probably one of my most favorite spots in yellowstone!

Charles Smith

It's a great place to stop after a day of hiking and sightseeing. It is pretty much always packed though so finding an area with any privacy is almost impossible. Keep your small children close because the boiling river is real hot and will burn you if you're bit careful.

Steven Flores

Find the spot where cold mixes with hot, and dip right in. Like a Japanese onsen bath. Refreshing.

Augusta Faucett

This place was a great experience! We went in April and it was only about 35 degrees outside but the water was great.. well in the hot spots because the cold spots are frigid! Be careful though, my friend and I were walking and there was a bison behind a big bush and we didn’t see him until we were right up next to him and he decided to charge us and there’s not much you can do besides run.

Richard Ferchen

Definitely worth stopping at. Cold water meets hot water (caution, _very_ hot water in the side streams) and makes little natural "hot tubs" at whatever temperature you want between 70 and 120, depending on where you sit. Not very deep, even the 5 year old had plenty of places to move around in. There is a little walk to get there (half mile one way?). This is easier with water shoes or flip flops with a heel strap, the bottom is all rocks, but we did it in bare feet safely. Sit in the pools or stand, but don't reach into the streams (will burn you) and don't dip your head under (some kind of organism you don't want in your mouth, apparently).

akanksha k

Closed currently due hazardous conditions.

milena boskovic

Awsome place! Parking is difficult to notice from the road and there is about a half mile hike along the river to reach the place on foot, but it is definitely worth it.

Adhara Hodgson

Fun natural hotspring. Very busy so arrive early.

Brandon Grass

A nice relaxing way to enjoy nature, the hot can be a little too hot and the cold is well.. too cold but when you find the perfect spot.. PERFECTO!

Dan Gray

Great spot for a little dip.

Trupti Kargaonkar Gowda

Totally worth it. Such a unique phenomena where Boiling River meets Gardiner river. Park in MT, swim in WY! Great way to relax in the waters after tiring day of hike. Kids loved it there most. The rocks are arranged in such a way that we were in our own private hot water pools. A tip would be to have water shoes on as there are many rocks. They make it easier to navigate thru the water current which increases as you go further from entrance.

David Myer

Even if you don't swim, the stop is nice and the walk is basically level. There are much nicer places in the park to sight see, but no other places to swim. NOTE: no soap and no skinny dipping. Also stay strictly on the trail - the hot water runs under your feet in places and a light step off the path could drop you through the crust into scalding water.