Periodic Spring
A hillside spring that rhythmically pulses on and off like a natural faucet — one of only a few intermittent springs of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
About this spectacle
The Periodic Spring near Afton, Wyoming is one of the rarest natural phenomena in the world — an intermittent spring that surges and stops on a rhythmic cycle, sometimes every few minutes. Visitors stand before a rocky hillside and watch as a powerful torrent of frigid, crystal-clear water gushes from the cliff face, then gradually diminishes and ceases entirely, only to resume again. The pulsing roar of rushing water gives way to eerie silence, then builds again. Surrounded by the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Star Valley landscape, the spring is most dramatic in late summer and autumn when the water table is optimal for the siphon mechanism to function. The effect is mesmerizing — nature operating like a living clock. The air is cool and damp near the mouth, and the surrounding canyon amplifies every gurgle and surge into something almost theatrical.
When to go
May — Oct, peak Aug — Oct
Getting there
Nearest airport: JAC. Nearest city: Jackson.
Booking options
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