Kelly Warm Spring

Kelly Warm Springs

NPS/ A. Mattson

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Restroom

The spring averages only 80 degrees Fahrenheit, cool compared to hot springs. Families often picnic on the grassy meadow surrounding the pool. Entering the warm spring is not recommended. In spring, bison and elk linger by the pool since the grass greens up early. Over the years, people have released their unwanted tropical fish into the pool disrupting the ecosystem. Some of these non-native species thrive and out-compete native species. Please do not release non-native fish into the spring. Be aware the pool contains high levels of E. coli and the presence of Naegleria fowleri .

Name Origin

Founded by William Kelly when he built a sawmill in 1907. The town was nearly voted the county seat for Teton County in 1925. That same year a massive landslide dammed the Gros Ventre River forming Lower Slide Lake. Two years later the natural dam failed, flooding the town and killing six people. Only two buildings remained standing.