Otherworldly is an appropriate description of this volcanic feature that bears little resemblance to the commonplace perception of a spring.
Visit Grand Prismatic Spring, a popular feature of Yellowstone National Park. The large steaming water basin has an unmatched blue color that is breathtaking. Its perimeter is bordered by a shoreline with hues of yellow, orange, green and brown. View the natural feature, which results from activity deep in Earth’s interior.
Learn fascinating facts about the spring. A crack in the earth 121 feet (37 meters) below the surface allows hot gases to escape and heat the spring. Water temperatures at its center have been measured at 189 F (87 C). At 370 feet (113 meters) wide, the spring is bigger than an American football field, making it one of the world’s largest known springs. Heat-loving bacteria give the shoreline its bright colors.
Visit other nearby pools and geysers that abound in the Midway Geyser Basin area surrounding the spring. It also includes the Opal and Turquoise pools, as well as the impressive Excelsior Geyser. Stroll along the accessible boardwalk that passes all these features at a safe distance. Not far away, 7 miles (11 kilometers), is the Upper Geyser Basin where Old Faithful is located.
Get overhead views of the Grand Prismatic Spring by following the Fairy Falls Trail, with its trailhead a 5-minute drive south of the Midway Geyser Basin. Expect a 1.2-mile (1.9-kilometer) round-trip hike with some elevation change. The trip will be worthwhile for the sight when you reach the viewing platform. While you’re in the area, also look for the 200-foot-high (60-meter) Fairy Falls, one of the park’s most impressive waterfalls.
Pay the weekly or annual entrance fee to Yellowstone National Park to access Grand Prismatic Spring. Summer is the best time to see the spring because the colors are the most brilliant.
Be sure to use sun protection. If you wear a hat, make certain it’s securely fastened to your head as the area can be windy. If your hat blows into the spring you cannot get it back, and it becomes a contaminant to the fragile ecology. Note that the road here closes from early November to late April.
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