Absolutely not! 🙏 Great question; these are direct venting for the largest caldera in the world, & are VERY HOT & dangerous for a variety of reasons, including toxins in the water, etc. Walking the boardwalks & photographing them is very enjoyable, though, especially as the summer heat cools down. A young man from outside the U.S. a year or two ago somehow did not read any available info, nor did he heed any warning signs posted: He jumped into a spring & was scalded to death within seconds—as his sister desperately tried to pull him out...Gruesome & senseless death. However, the “Boiling River” down the road from Mammoth Hot Springs (heading towards the North Gate at Gardiner, MT), is a fantastic experience & is like sitting in a natural hot tub—right in the river current! Unfortunately, because of Covid-19 restrictions this year, it’s not open to the public this year...(Neither are the stables at Roosevelt Lodge, etc.) Keep the Boiling River area in mind for the future, though—it’s memorable & FUN!

We were there early afternoon and crowd was just fine, however it was early June.

That is awesome to know, wow!👏🥰

I mean one hour for Lower Terrace, is it enough? I will spend one more hour on Upper Terrace by car.

July is crowded in general but large vehicles including buses and RVs are not allowed to drive the loop so I’m optimistic you will be able to drive it in your family car or van. There parking turnouts that aren’t very big, but some aren’t near the best attractions so if you can’t park by orange mound spring, for example, drive until the next one, it isn’t far, and walk back or go around again, it’s only 1.5 miles, and park short of it and walk up to it.

There will likely be snow yet the Park dies a really nice job of keeping the main roads plowed and salted. Watch for signs regarding possible road closures or inquire at the gate as you enter the park. The Park Ranger Manning the gate can advise you regarding road closures. Regarding dress... layer up and be sure to wear boots with good traction. Bring a hat and gloves in case of freezing or below freezing temperatures. Enjoy your trip!

no too hot and not allowed.

Contact the Park Service or visit their website for Yellowstone for the latest information on the roads.

Either will work, but finding parking can be pretty hit-or-miss. There is parking along the route, but it was full when we were there. We ended up driving past it and went to the loop above the hot springs, then ventured down on foot from there. The steps back were a pain, but if you start on the bottom, you need to do most of them anyway.