The Grand Prismatic Spring In Yellowstone
The Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the things that I was most excited to see when we got to Yellowstone. I had seen photos online of the bright and beautiful colors and the way oranges and blues color the fog that rises over the spring. Watch below to see our trip to the Grand Prismatic Spring.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone measuring more than 200-330 feet in diameter and 121 feet deep. Hot springs are different in that the water is heated whereas a geyser has heated water which has constrictions that cause an eruption of water.
Colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring is known for its vivid colors of blue, orange, yellow, and green mixed in. These colors are reflected in the fog that rises above the water. The colors of the spring are actually formed from bacteria and thermophiles. Thermophiles are algae that love heat and contain colorful pigments. The color of algae is specific to a temperature range starting from the center of the spring and working its way as the water cools and flows away from its source.
Hot springs are full of well... hot water that is not safe. These hot springs are not the kind that you can leisurely wade into and relax in and there are plenty of signs around telling you that. I've seen stories recently of people who don't listen to the advice of the National Park Service and get injured because they were doing something they shouldn't have! Don't be one of these people, be aware and always be safe!
Location of the Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring is located about 30 minutes from the West Entrance in Midway Geyser Basin. It's also very close to Old Faithful if you wanted to make a whole day of it. When getting to Grand Prismatic Spring you may have to wait in a line of traffic to get into the parking lot but once you're there, you will walk on a bridge over Firehole River. The water runoff from the spring runs into this river leaving behind some really cool oranges and browns on the hill above. From there you will walk on the boardwalk and find yourself at the Excelsior Geyser Crater which is full of beautiful blue water and fog. As you keep walking you will hit the Grand Prismatic Spring which is really something special.
Not only are the colors something that you haven't seen before but the size of the spring is huge. Not only in diameter but in depth as well. Something interesting we also noticed were the animal footprints in the wet sand/dirt close to the boardwalk. We did see that animals like bison and also wolves have become used to these springs and geysers. They have tougher feet than humans so they can withstand the warmer water.
Plan For Your Visit
I wouldn't say there is too much to plan for. If you do plan on visiting:
You may expect longer wait times in traffic to get into the parking lot.
Plan for about 30 minutes to an hour when walking around to see and read everything.
Make sure to have your camera at the ready.
Be respectful - everyone is there to see the same thing. It can get crowded so try a let everyone have a turn to take their picture and see things.
We visited Yellowstone in May and while I would tell you to get into the park early in the day it may actually make it harder to see the spring. In May the mornings were still very chilly and the fog coming off the spring was even stronger because of the chilly temperatures. If you can swing going later in the day or even getting early and waiting in the parking lot for a bit you may get a better look at it and the colors. Garrett and I actually went back on our last day because we could see the colors reflected in the fog when we were driving by. I'm glad we stopped because we got a much better look the second time around.
Grand Prismatic Spring is a tourist attraction in Yellowstone like most of the park but I will say it's worth going. It really is something you see once in a lifetime; the colors are spectacular and the education on the spring and geysers around is so interesting. You will see a lot and learn a lot! I highly recommend a visit!
*Read more: Jenny Lake In Grand Teton National Park
