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Best geothermal destinations in North America

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Yellowstone National Park
Geysers, wildlife and untamed wilderness
8.8
Congress set aside the park on March 1, 1872. It holds at least 10,000 geothermal features. About two thirds of the world's geysers are concentrated here. The Yellowstone Caldera measures about 72 by 45 kilometres and formed roughly 640,000 years ago. Steamboat is the tallest active geyser in the world.
Highlights:
  • 🐃 Spot bison, elk, and bears roaming in Lamar Valley
  • 🌈 Walk the boardwalks of the Grand Prismatic Spring and admire its vivid colors
  • 🌋 Watch Old Faithful erupt and feel the geothermal power of Yellowstone
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Majestic volcanoes rise over rugged wilderness
8.7
Lassen Peak, Cinder Cone and the land around them became a national park on 9 August 1916. Eruptions began in May 1914. Hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots remain active at Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works. Warner Valley adds Boiling Springs Lake, Devils Kitchen and Terminal Geyser.
Highlights:
  • ⛺ Camp beside Manzanita Lake under starlit skies
  • 🌋 Explore Bumpass Hell geothermal area, steam vents visible
  • 🏔️ Hike to Lassen Peak summit, enjoy panoramic vistas
Wyoming
Wild West landscapes and natural wonders
8.5
Thermopolis takes its name from the Greek for hot city. The town claims the world's largest mineral hot spring, called the Big Spring, in Hot Springs State Park. An 1896 treaty with the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes keeps the springs free for the public. Yellowstone lies mostly in the northwestern corner of the state.
Highlights:
  • 🗻 Climb Devils Tower, America's first national monument
  • 🥾 Hike scenic trails in Grand Teton National Park
  • 🌋 Witness Old Faithful erupt in Yellowstone National Park
Arenal Volcano National Park
Lava Trails, Rainforest and Epic Views
8.4
Arenal rises 1,633 metres and erupted suddenly on 29 July 1968. Regular lava flows began after landslides in 1975. The eruptive period ended in October 2010 and the volcano has been quiet since. Its slopes form an important watershed for the Arenal Lake reservoir, which supplies hydroelectric power.
Highlights:
  • 🌄 Enjoy spectacular volcano views from multiple lookout points
  • 🌿 Explore rainforest biodiversity on the El Ceibo circuit
  • 🌋 Hike the Las Coladas trail over old lava flows
La Fortuna
Volcano Views, Hot Springs, Adventure
7.5
Tabacón Hot Springs lies at the base of Arenal Volcano near town. Its water comes from an underground river heated naturally by the volcano. Mixing with cold water sets pool temperatures from cold up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The resort stands on the site of the village of Tabacón, which an eruption destroyed in 1968.
Highlights:
  • 🌉 Walk the hanging bridges at Mistico Park
  • ♨️ Relax in natural hot springs near Arenal Volcano
  • 🌊 Hike to the breathtaking La Fortuna Waterfall
Morne Trois Pitons National Park
Volcanic wonders in pristine rainforest
8.0
Water near the edge of the Boiling Lake measures 82 to 92 degrees Celsius. The Valley of Desolation has boiling mud ponds and small geysers. Sulphur gases limit plant life in that valley. The park became the first legally established national park in Dominica in July 1975. UNESCO listed it in 1997.
Highlights:
  • 💦 Explore the twin Trafalgar Falls and natural hot springs
  • 🏞️ Swim beneath the 50-foot cascading Emerald Pool waterfall
  • 🌋 Hike the challenging trail to the Boiling Lake
The Geysers
Majestic hot springs amid desert skies
The world's largest developed geothermal field lies in the Mayacamas Mountains. It spans Sonoma and Lake counties in California, about 72 miles north of San Francisco. Eighteen power plants have a nameplate capacity of 1,590 megawatts. The first plant opened in 1921 with 250 kilowatts to light a resort.
Highlights:
  • 🏕️ Camp beneath glowing fumaroles for a night of stars
  • 🚶‍♂️ Stroll through geothermal trails, photographing steaming vents
  • 🌋 Witness the erupting hot springs at The Geysers
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