The Most Fantastic Grand Prismatic Spring, at Yellowstone National Park

Deposit pattern of the Grand Prismatic Spring

 

 

Date: July 20, 2020 and September 30, 2024

Place: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Coordinates of the Fairy Falls parking lot:  44.515649, -110.832490

Coordinates of the Midway Geyser Basin Trailhead: 44.528455, -110.836239

Level: easy

 

Together with the Old Faithful geyser and the bison, the Grand Prismatic Spring is the poster feature of Yellowstone National Park. Of course we couldn't miss it! As it happened, the Grand Prismatic Spring was the last feature we visited on both my 2020 summer trip with the youth, and the 2023 fall trip with my sister. Our trails and observation points were however, different. On my July of 2020 trip with my chikas and their friends we took the upper view trail, starting at the Fairy Falls parking lot and going northward west of the Midway Basin, where the Grand Prismatic Spring was. 

 

July 2020

Already at the parking lot we had some excitement, when we saw that the best parking spot was already occupied - by a bull bison. The bison merely stood there calmly, in total disregard of the numerous people walking by, not to mention the constant vehicular traffic there. Thankfully, no human there approached the beast or tried to provoke it in any way.

Bison Parking

The first thermal pool we saw on that hike was the River Geyser, which was right by the parking lot. The pool's water was clear turquoise, hemmed with microbial orange. It was a beautiful preview of the Grand Prismatic Spring.

River Geyser

Shortly after we crossed the Firehole River on a low bridge. The Firehole River is the same one that collects basin thermal water from the west side of the Yellowstone Caldera, including the Old Faithful Basin drainage. One might think that the river water would be hot, or at least warm, but it was in fact, quite cold.  

Firehole River, view south

The trail continued along the river on its west side. More geyser pools were present on our way, between the trail and the Firehole River. None of the geyser erupted while we were there. Their pools looked very calm and serene. 

Catfish Geyser

There were some wildflowers along the path as well, though not as many as I've seen on other trails we've hiked in Yellowstone at on that trip. 

A rusty color spot on the ground indicated eitherthe deposit of minerals r more likely, the flourishing of certain microorganisms. 

The rusty soil stain was being fed by a nearby small geyser, the Flood Geyser. I don't remember if there was a sign there explaining the name. I can only assume that the geyser pool occasionally overflows and floods the vicinity. 

Flood Geyser

 I noticed some more wildflowers along the trail and I paused for a closer look, letting the youth get ahead of me. 

Paintbrush, Castilleja sp.

For the most part, on the west side of the trail was a hill's slope. In one place however, the hills retreated a bit and in the flat area between the slope and the trail was a lovely, green meadow. I scanned the meadow for wildlife but didn't see any other than insects. 

When I caught up with the youth they were already looking over the Grand Prismatic Spring, along with numerous other visitors who hiked this trail for the same purpose. I joined them and looked with awe at the magnificent sight that spread below us. 

Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest thermal pool within Yellowstone National Park. Taking a closeup look at the pool's edge it is easy to see how it got its name - the lines of color looked like they were coming through a prism. The pool's water was hot, so the signs say, but no steam was obstructing our view. The Grand Prismatic Spring was indeed grand, and it was absolutely marvelous! 

Another thing I noticed was a boardwalk loop trail that allowed visitors to get really close to the spring, and I regretted not having enough time to go on that one as well.

We looked at the pool for a long time, and took many photos, making it a tough choice for me later which of them to post here. Eventually though, it was time to go. 

Trail

I assume that because of the pandemic there were fewer visitors there than there would have been otherwise. Still, all the human activity on the trail did raise a lot of dust into the air. The dust settled on the nearby vegetation, coating the leaves, dulling their natural gloss. 

Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus

We crossed the Firehole River again on our way back. A large, orange dragonfly stood poised on the rail, undisturbed by the people walking back and forth on the path.

Dragonfly

Near the parking area I turned and looked back on the Firehole River. After this walk we would drive out of Yellowstone National park exiting it to the east on our way to Thermopolis, Wyoming, where I promised the youth hot springs they could actually enjoy dipping in.

Firehole River

September 2023

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most impressive and magnificent places I've ever been to, and the Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the signature geothermal features within the park. Naturally, when I visited Yellowstone with my sister last fall, the Grand Prismatic Spring was on out list of places to see. We didn't walk the same trail as I did with the youth in 2020 though. Instead, we took the boardwalk loop that was right inside the Midway Basin, allowing visitors to approach the thermal pools. 

No bison was waiting for us at the parking area this time. There were some wildflowers, though.

Cinquefoil, Potentilla sp. 

As soon as we left the parking area we crossed the Firehole River and a low, flat bridge with nice, sturdy rails we could lean on and look onto the river. Across the river. steaming hot water was flowing down the bank slope, merging with the cold river water.

Firehole River

From a distance we couldn't actually see the flow of the hot water because it was masked by the steam. Up closer on the west side of the bridge we had a much better view of the thermal water collecting from that part of the basin.

The rust-colored lines and spots turned out to be mats of thermophilic microorganisms. These, and many other species of thermophile life is what gives the wonderful colors to the edges of the Grand Prismatic Spring and of the other geothermal springs there.

We moved towards the next geothermal feature - the Excelsior Geyser. At least, that's what the posted sign said. We could barely see the edges of the pool because the steam emanating from it was so thick. We could see it was very colorful though, certainly on the edges. 

Excelsior Geyser

The water of the geyser pool was brilliant turquoise, and it was very, very clear. The sign by the geyser said that it had only very few, and very violent eruptions during recorded history, the last one being in 1987. It didn't erupt while we were there. 

Excelsior Geyser

The entire trail was a boardwalk, of course, to keep both people and the unique landscape safe. I gazed on the basin area, the flat, almost barren of any higher plants, and the steaming fumaroles. It did look outlandish. 

Slowly we were approaching the Grand Prismatic Spring. I could already see that we won't get to see much of the pool itself, if any. The steam rising from it was simply too dense. It did however, Make the perfect background for the visitors walking on the boardwalk near the pool's edge. 

The travertine pattern created by the mineral deposits of the Gran Prismatic Spring was spectacular. Like little flooded terraces, farmed with minute thermophile microorganisms. It looked sleek, beautiful and eerie at the same time. 

The smooth flooded microterraces made a perfect reflective surface. had it not been for the hot steam that warmed up the rather chilly air I could have thought that the surface was made of polished ice. 

Soon we were walking right by the edge of the Grand Prismatic Spring. I was right about not being able to see the pool itself - the steam was too thick. But we were walking right by the microorganisms - rendered color lines that belted the pool and gave it its wonderful prismatic colors. 

Like rays extending from the sun the streaks of orange, beige and brown stretched away from the pool's edge. I was wondering what where hikers on the higher trail seeing now. I thought that they might not see much better than us because of the steam. We got to see the pool edge patterns up close, and they were stunning. 

I couldn't help myself. I just had to post one more close up photo of this magnificent color pattern. Even so, the photos hardly do justice to the actual thing. To get the full grandeur of the Grand Prismatic Spring, one has to be there in person.  

As we slowly made our way away from the Grand Prismatic Spring we approached a couple of other thermal pools. One of these, the turquoise Pool was this almost perfect round funnel. Like the Excelsior Geyer, it too had very clear water. We could see the pool well though. The steam coming from it was thin and didn't mask our view. 

Turquoise Pool

I looked down the slope beyond the pool where the thermal water seeped and collected into little brooks that flowed into the Firehole River. On the horizon behind the green forest on the east side of the river rose to high peaks. I haven't figured out which mountains these were. Perhaps the large one was Mount Washburn. 

We completed the loop near the Excelsior Geyser again. The steam seemed ever so thinner and we got to see some f the other colors that adorned the geyser's edge. 

On the bridge I paused again to look at Firehole River. Nothing in the deep blue flow suggested that this river collected thermal water from geyser basins throughout its length.

Firehole River, View north

As I looked at the river an osprey made a dive into the water. It wasn't successful that time but I kept watching the magnificent raptor for a while as it was flying back and forth over the river, searching for fish. 

Osprey

The osprey try a couple more times but was not successful in any of them. Eventually I wished him luck and my sister and I completed crossing the bridge, not before I took one more goodbye shot at the Firehole River where the thermal water steamed down the slope from the basin where it had emerged from the depths.   

Firehole River, View South

The Grand Prismatic Spring was our last stop in Yellowstone National Park on both my 2020 trip with the youth and my 2023 trip with my sister. Neither trip was over though. After Yellowstone, my sister and I took the long way route back home - a route that went through Southeast Oregon, Northern Nevada, and Northern California. It was a great trip and we did see many more interesting things but we didn't do any more hikes. On my 2020 trip with my chikas and their friends however, we took and even longer route - through Thermopolis, Fort Washaki, and eventually Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah/Colorado border, where we did hike a couple more trails that I would post about later down the line. The Yellkowstone chapter of this blog however, is now done, all written and posted. I don't know when next I would visit this outstanding place, but I sure hope to be there again.