Sulphur Works is the most accessible hydrothermal area in the park, along the highway near the Southwest Entrance. A short paved walk reaches bubbling mudpots and steaming, sulfurous ground.
Details
- Type
- Hot Spring
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Overview
Sulphur Works sits over the extinct central vent of Mount Tehama, also called Brokeoff Volcano, the large eroded volcano whose remnants form the surrounding peaks of Brokeoff Mountain, Mount Diller, Pilot Pinnacle, and Mount Conard. The hydrothermal area shows colored ground, sulfurous odors, and shifting surfaces. It remains an active research site for scientists studying volcanoes, hydrothermal systems, and related fields.
Visiting
This is the easiest of the park's hydrothermal areas to reach, by a short walk along a paved sidewalk. The parking area is two miles north of the Southwest Entrance and one mile north of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. It is reachable by vehicle in summer and fall; when the highway closes for winter, it can be reached on a 2-mile round-trip oversnow route.
Know Before You Go
Ground in hydrothermal areas can look solid but may be a thin crust over acidic boiling water or mud. Visitors have been severely injured going off-trail here, so stay on the established path.