The hot springs at Yellowstone National Park have injured or killed more people than “any other natural feature” there, according to the National Park Service.
As you might imagine, the damage is usually caused by entering or falling into the boiling thermal waters. That’s why the park service warns against straying from boardwalks and designated trails.
However, in a video recently posted to the ever-horrifying Tourons of Yellowstone page at Instagram, a tourist appears to drink from one of the park’s thermal pools.
Though this shouldn’t need saying, that’s also bad.
In the clip, a man can be seen kneeling next to the steaming pool as he appears to sip from a cupped hand. He then shakes off what looks like excess water and stands up.
To his credit, he remains on the boardwalk.
To his ignominy, blech!
Can you drink the water from hot springs at Yellowstone?
Setting aside the question of what could make a person want to swallow the sulfer-smelling liquid in the first place, this is primarily a safety issue.
As the Tourons of Yellowstone caption points out, you should never, but never touch or drink untreated water in thermal areas at Yellowstone or anywhere else.
In addition to being hot enough to cause severe burns, the water in thermal areas can contain “elevated concentrations” of chemical toxins such as arsenic and other “nasty chemical constituents,” explains the U.S. Geological Survey.
Not to mention the possible presence of harmful microorganisms such as E. coli and—saints preserve us!—a brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria.
In other words, Evian it ain’t.
Meanwhile, a new geothermal feature at Yellowstone
Mind you, drinking in the view—only with your eyes, please—of Yellowstone’s geothermal features remains as fascinating as ever.
Or maybe a little bit more fascinating than before, because geologists have discovered a new blue water spring in the park’s Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone’s “oldest, hottest, and most acidic” geothermal spot, as Frommer’s describes it.
Believed to have been formed by a recent hydrothermal explosion (that’s when hot water in a volcano flashes to steam), the new pool was first noticed during routine maintenance in April, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
The spring is about 13 feet across and about 1 foot below the rim, containing light blue water at a heat of 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
The pool is situated in a subbasin just west of a patch of vegetation nicknamed “Tree Island.”
You can find a map of the location at the website of the U.S. Geological Survey so that you can keep an eye out for the new spring when you’re at Yellowstone. Just don’t get any ideas about taking a sip.
For more help planning a visit, pick up a copy of Frommer’s Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks.
Related: Old Faithful and Beyond: A Geyser-Gazing Guide to Yellowstone National Park
