Grand Hydrothermal Features in Yellowstone

Today we are looking for grand hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park. Specifically, we will be exploring all the hydrothermal features between Midway and Norris Geyser Basins. Yesterday we got a great introduction to these features at West Thumb & Old Faithful in Yellowstone. And today we are going back with our daughter and Becky’s mom, Gigi to see more grand hydrothermal features!

Planning to see Grand Hydrothermal Features

Yesterday we finished our day at the grand Old Faithful which is in the Upper Geyser Basin area. And our goal today is to basically continue where we left off. We will be entering through the West entrance and will stop at the Information Station in Madison first. We just want to check it out and get more information. Then we’ll go down to the Midway Geyser Basin area to start our day seeing more hydrothermal features.

Yesterday from West Thumb to Old Faithful was about a 1/4 of the Grand Loop in the park. And today, we will complete about another 1/4 from around the Midway Geyser Basin up to Norris. We’re headed to the Midway Geyser Basin first, because we’re excited to see the Grand Prismatic Spring up-close. And afterwards, we will plan to hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook to see Yellowstone’s largest hot spring from above. And from there we’ll head north making stops along the way to Norris Geyser Basin. Again we will use our GyPSy Guide, which has been extremely helpful providing information about stops along the way.

The drive to/from the park and then to this area is long so we need to be prepared. And since there is absolutely no dining options anywhere on this route, we will also pack a picnic lunch. And after exiting the park in West Yellowstone, we will find something for dinner there. Today is all about many stops exploring more exciting hydrothermal features. To learn more about the different types of hydrothermal features in Yellowstone, check out: Hydrothermal Features – Yellowstone National Park (nps.gov).

West Entrance and Madison

We had heard you have to get to Yellowstone early to beat the crowds. So, we leave our resort in Big Sky before 8:00AM. But we have to stop for gas and coffee and don’t get to West Yellowstone until about 9:00AM. And once we turn toward the park, we hit traffic. It takes us almost 10 minutes to see the park sign and another 5 to get to the gate. And after showing our annual pass, it takes another 20 minutes to get to Madison.

When we pull into the Madison parking lot, we see restrooms immediately on our right. And after being in the car over 1.5 hours, and coffee, we head there first. These restrooms are really nice with real toilets unlike West Thumb yesterday. But the information station is down a path on the other side of the parking lot. So, we move our car closer and park. Then we take the short path through some woods where it opens up to the information station. There’s just one other family hear doing a junior ranger swearing in with the ranger on staff. We get a $3 junior ranger book for our daughter and talk to the ranger about our plans for the day. This place is beautiful and not busy. And we’re glad we made the stop, but we’re now ready to see the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Hydrothermal Features at Midway Geyser Basin

The Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin is just 10 miles from Madison. But for a Monday morning, the traffic is heavy. And by the time we get there, cars are stopped on the road to get into the parking lot. It’s not even 10:30AM, but it takes us 20 minutes to get into the parking lot and park. But now we are ready for this short 1/2 mile boardwalk trail that starts at the end of the parking lot.

The Midway Geyser Basin is small compared to others in the area, but contains 2 amazing and large hydrothermal wonders. And the constant steam from the 1st, Excelsior Geyser Crater, can be seen as we approach a bridge. From this bridge over the Firehole River, we can see the runoff from this dormant geyser. Though it has not erupted for many years, this geyser discharges 4,000 gallons of water per minute into the aptly named river.

Once past the bridge, the boardwalk zig-zags up to the basin where we start to see Excelsior Geyser up-close. The 1-way loop starts to the left in front of this geyser. And the more we walk, the more we are engulfed in steam. I tried to take a selfie in front of this giant blue pool here, but all you can see is the steam. But just past it we see a different color steam.

The Grand Prismatic Spring

The 2nd wonder at Midway Geyser Basin is the chromatic Grand Prismatic Spring. This 370 foot wide hot spring is the largest in the United States and 3rd in the world. But what makes this spring special are the beautiful colors of the spring. And as we approach we see what looks like blue steam emanating from it. And we can start to see the brown and orange color of the bacterial mats surrounding it.

The boardwalk loops in front of the spring from a safe distance. And here it’s hard not to have a great view of the bright blue pool with vivid colors surrounding it. The boardwalk here doesn’t have guard rails, so we take it easy as we pass the spring. And just past it we get even closer views of the orange, yellow and brown bacterial mats. It almost looks like you’re on a different planet.

Once past it, the boardwalk starts looping back where we see Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool. These hot springs are much smaller and have some different colors, but just don’t compare. And we complete the trail in about 35 minutes at the restrooms in the parking area. There are lines for these restrooms with pit toilets, and we wait for over 10 minutes to use them. But it was a much needed break and now we’re ready to see Grand Prismatic Spring from above.

Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

The 1.6 mile Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail starts just south about 5 minutes at the Fairy Falls trailhead. Though the parking lot here is bigger, it’s also packed. But we come in the back entrance and find a parking spot relatively easily. It’s hot today, so after parking we apply sunscreen and grab some water and grab our bear spray just in case. We pass a small unidentified hot spring on the way to the trailhead. And just past it is an old steel truss bridge over the Firehole River.

Once past the bridge, the trail itself starts off relatively flat on compact gravel. It’s busy today, but wide enough to spread out. And we’re walking on the other side of the Midway Geyser Basin where we pass more hydrothermal features. We see multiple unidentified hot springs just off the trail near the Firehole River. And as we get closer, the trail gradually inclines. But after about 0.6 miles, we see a sign that simply says “TRAIL” and points left. We figure this is the way to the overlook.

From the turn, the trail gets steeper as it heads the last 0.2 miles to the overlook. Before we reach it, we can see the Grand Prismatic Spring through the trees. And once we make it to the overlook, we take the steps up to the top. From up here we can easily see this magnificent spring in its entirety. After taking lots of pictures, we head back the way we came. We make it back to the trailhead in just over an hour.

Hydrothermal Features at Fountain Paint Pots

Once back in the car we head back north past Midway Geyser Basin to the Whiskey Flats Picnic Area. We are ready for lunch, but most tables are taken and the ones that aren’t have direct sunlight. So, we continue down the road. One scenic drive we want to do is Firehole Lake Drive to more hydrothermal features, but it’s closed for some reason. So, we head past it to the next parking lot for Fountain Paint Pots in the Lower Geyser Basin. And it’s here at about 1:30PM, we decide to eat our lunch in our car.

After our lunch, Gigi and our daughter decide to rest in the car while we start the trail. The Fountain Paint Pots trail is a short 1/2 mile boardwalk trail, but contains 4 different hydrothermal features. Though there’s hot springs, geysers and fumaroles here, it’s the mudpot that we’re most interested in seeing. You can walk around the entire Fountain Paint Pots but some areas are better to see the gurgling mud.

Just past it we see some fumaroles, or steam vents, and the more impressive Red Spouter. This feature is interesting because it’s a muddy hot spring splashing up reddish water. And past it, we encounter multiple active geysers. The Clepsydra geyser is farther away but the steam from it erupting is hitting us on the boardwalk. After passing through it, the trail loops back around to where we started. This short trail took us about 25 minutes, but it’s a nice trail with a variety of hydrothermal features.

Taking a Break on 2 Scenic Drives

After the few hikes, we decide to drive some of the scenic side roads before Madison. On the way we see a group of bison with their calves on the way to the 1st one. Just 5 minutes down the road, we turn left onto the 1-mile Fountain Flat Drive. Directly on the right is the busy Nez Perce picnic area. Past it, this road parallels the Firehole River to a large parking lot for a trailhead. We park for a few minutes to get some views of the river. But rather than walk on the trail, we get back in the car to return the same way.

Once back to the Grand Loop, we go north another 5 miles to Firehole Canyon Drive. And we go from a flat drive to this 2 mile loop road through Firehole Canyon. From the start, this 1-way drive is definitely more scenic driving through the canyon formed by 800 feet lava flows. And in less than a mile, we turn a bend to find Firehole Falls.

Here there is a small parking lot on our left where we find a spot. We get out for a few minutes and cross the street to admire the 40 foot falls in this canyon. Further down the drive about another mile is the Firehole Canyon Swimming Area. However, today it is closed. This is 1 of only 2 areas in Yellowstone where swimming is allowed, and unfortunately both are closed. Though this drive we thought was more interesting than the first. But now, it’s on to more hydrothermal features.

Hydrothermal Features at Terrace Springs

After we finished the 2 scenic drives, we continue on Grand Loop Road past Madison Junction. We go straight toward Norris Geyser Basin stopping at the Terrace Springs parking lot. This quick pull-off is a very short 0.2 mile boardwalk loop. But our daughter is getting really fussy and doesn’t want to go. So Becky and Gigi stay in the car with her and it’s just me for this one.

Terrace Spring actually looks like a little lake with what looks like a freshwater spring bubbling to the surface. However, it’s one of a few hot springs on this trail. And continuing past it, there are 2 more nice sized hot pools. The 1st is much smaller than Terrace Spring, but very blue and again bubbling. The 2nd is even smaller, but has orange thermophiles flowing from and around it. It’s basically the 3 hot springs and takes 5 minutes. And when I get back to the car, our daughter is out cold. We’ve been going hard the last few days, and she needs a nap. So we continue driving past Gibbon Falls , and Beryl Spring we can see from the road. But we stop next at Artists’ Paint Pots.

Hydrothermal Features at Artists’ Paint Pots

The Artists’ Paint Pots is another trail around more hydrothermal features. However, this trail is away from the crowds and starts through a lodgepole pine forest. Though our daughter is still asleep, so Gigi stays in the car with her while we do the trail. And just after the trail begins, we see some dead “bobby socks” trees killed by thermal runoff. A little further the boardwalk stops over a bridge to the beginning of the loop around the thermal basin. So we turn left around this basin that looks like runoff from the mountainside toward Blood Geyser. This small geyser has high concentrations of iron oxide staining the surrounding rocks red.

And after stopping at the geyser, the trail starts to climb from the boardwalk up the mountain. As the trail continues over a bridge and up some stairs there are a couple viewpoints overlooking the basin. Unlike the other flat boardwalk trails, this one provides views of the whole thermal basin and surrounding area. We can even see the constantly erupting Blood Geyser from above though the water is not red.

Once we climb to the top of the hill, we see why they call this Artists’ Paintpots. It’s a large mudpot that looks like paint thus the name. The mudpot bubbles here are cool to watch shooting into the air, but watch out for stray mud. Once we walk around the boardwalk to the other side, we can see mud splatter on the railing. The rest of the trail descends down to the other side of the boardwalk and back to the loop start. From here we walk back to the parking lot completing the trail in 35 minutes.

Hydrothermal Features at Norris Geyser Basin

Our daughter is still asleep when we park at Norris, so I get out to use the restrooms first. This is a good idea because there are no restrooms in the basin. And they’re clean with flush toilets and even have vending machines out front. But by the time I get back, our daughter is awake so everyone else goes. After that, we start down a short path and see the bookstore which has typical souvenirs and a passport stamp. They also have cold waters, but while purchasing some, our daughter say she has to go to the restroom. So by the time we get back from the restrooms around 5:15PM, the bookstore and museum are now closed. But we have water and decide to explore a trail. And we see a trail sign showing 0.25 miles left to Steamboat Geyser, so we decide to do it first.

The trail quickly turns to a boardwalk and Emerald Spring is directly on the right. This stinky hot spring is lined with yellow sulfur deposits that mix with the blue water making it appear green. After the spring, the boardwalk continues through some lodgepole pines until you get to the 1st overlook for Steamboat Geyser.

Steamboat Geyser is the World’s tallest active geyser erupting to over 300 feet. However, its major eruptions are unpredictable and infrequent. But, it can have frequent minor eruptions 10-40 feet. There are signs in the parking lot that warn of its eruptions as the acidic water can damage car finishes. And at this 1st overlook, you can see evidence of this by seeing the dead white trees around the spring. We enjoy watching the frequent minor eruptions for about 15 minutes before returning back to the museum.

Porcelain Basin Trail

Rather than continue past Steamboat Geyser to the Back Basin, we head back for the shorter Porcelain Basin Trail. But our daughter wants to stay at the museum overlooking this basin while we do the 0.6 mile trail. So, she stays with Gigi while we take the steps leading down to the Porcelain Basin Overlook.

The sweeping view here is named for its porcelain-like appearance of smooth sinter deposited by centuries of thermal activity. Like each of the others, this volatile basin is different. The colors here are more muted and cool, and it’s one of the hottest and most acidic areas in Yellowstone. We continue down passing the steaming Ledge Geyser. And past it we get down to some more geysers. As we’re taking a video of the small Constant Geyser, the larger geyser next to it shoots in the air. This Whirligig Geyser only erupts for a few seconds and is done. And then behind us, we hear the steam bursting from Ledge Geyser we just passed.

Further on the boardwalk you can see runoff from the dormant Pinwheel Geyser in the distance. And as it loops back we can see the dormant hot spring Whale’s Mouth. On the backside we pass a little creek and see Crackling Lake. Here you can hear the ground crackling with the hot water underneath it. Also, we see more steam venting in the distance reflecting in the lake. Once past the lake, the trail heads back up to the start. It takes less than 30 minutes for us to complete this trail. But by the time we get back to the car, we’ve spent about 2 hours here. At just past 6:30PM, we’re ready to head back for the day.

Heading Back

From Norris to West Yellowstone is about 45 minutes, and we will plan to grab dinner there. But on the way back we make a couple stops. The Gibbon Falls turnout was crowded earlier. But on the way back, it’s not so we pull into the turnoff and park. The overlook here provides multiple views of the 84 foot falls.

Gibbon Falls is a nice stop for about 10 minutes. But now we’re ready to head out of the park. Once we get to Madison Junction, we turn towards the West entrance. This road to the exit parallels the Madison River and it’s a good time to look for wildlife. And about halfway down we see some animals in the river and turn into another pullout.

Many people are already here checking out multiple mule deer in the river. So, we walk closer to the river to get a better look. A couple deer are still in the river while many are back on the shore. After enjoying watching them for a few minutes, we head back to the car. We exit out of the park just past 7:45PM and we’re hungry.

Dinner in West Yellowstone

There are many options for food in West Yellowstone. And once leaving the park, we find gas then supper there. Firehole Bar-B-Que Company is #1 on Tripadvisor and it sounds good. You can read more about them here: BBQ in West Yellowstone | Firehole BBQ Company. It’s about 8:00 when we get to the restaurant, and park and go in to order. There’s still a line to order at the counter, but it goes fast. The menu is pretty simple: brisket, pork, turkey, buffalo sausage or ribs and 4 different sides. And the 1st 3 you can get as sandwiches. However, when we get to the counter, they tell us they just have brisket and ribs left. So, we order 3 brisket sandwiches, which they cut and make right at the counter.

We order 1 of each side for the sandwiches: beans, corn salad and coleslaw. And we order a sausage link with a side of mac n cheese for our daughter. We also order fountain drinks and grab some of their original and hot sauces too. We take the boxes and drinks to our car to check them out. The brisket sandwiches are stacked and look messy, so we decide to eat in the car. They are really, really good, and so are the sides. Gigi said she’s never eaten a brisket sandwich before since she usually eats pulled pork. But she loves it, too. As we are eating another couple comes up and tries to walk in, but they’ve already closed. We’re lucky we got here when we did. And after eating, we drive the hour back to Big Sky for the night.

Summary

Today my feet hurt. I racked up over 20,000 steps and over 8 miles today. We walked at 5 different hydrothermal areas and 1 trail to an overlook and it adds up. Not to mention the places in between. Though, the highlight for us was seeing Grand Prismatic Spring up-close. It really was out-of-this-world. But seeing it from above was also nice to see. And each other geyser basin or area has something a little unique. We really like the mudpots at Artists’ Paint Pots and the different geysers in the Norris basin. And we could have seen more hydrothermal features at Norris Geyser Basin if we had more time and energy. But we’ll have to save some stuff for our next trip, because tomorrow we’re visiting the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone!

If you’ve been to Yellowstone, what is your favorite hydrothermal feature or area? If you haven’t, what would you like to see most? Let us know in the Comments below.

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