Journey Through Yellowstone, Day 2: Lower and Midway Geyser Basins

After spending the night tossing and turning, I was finally happy to see that the dawn of a new day had lifted the darkness. My insomnia had nothing to do with the comfort of our hotel bed. In fact, I rather enjoyed staying at The Lodge at Big Sky. The truth was I felt too impatient to get back to Yellowstone and continue our journey. I had studied the park map for a good while the previous evening, and had a plan. After we spent our first day near Yellowstone Lake and the Fishing Bridge area, I was eager to go back and check out some of the most iconic sights in the park like Grand Prismatic Spring. The plan was to have a day dedicated to Yellowstone geysers and springs of the Grand Loop.

The Madison River Near the West Entrance

After a satisfying continental breakfast at The Lodge at Big Sky, all six of us divided in two cars, and headed back towards the West Entrance of Yellowstone. As soon as we got back in the park, we made a quick stop to take a closer look at the Madison River. It was a beautiful, crisp morning, and a man was enjoying some quiet time fly fishing. Naturally, our kids didn’t miss the opportunity to make some noise and very likely scare away the fish! Fortunately, the man just smiled at them and didn’t appear irritated.

Firehole Canyon Drive

Our journey from here continued down south along the west side of the lower loop. Before long, we veered from the main park road in order to check out a short, one-way, side route called Firehole Canyon Drive.

This ended up being an absolutely fantastic experience. We also pulled over a couple of times to take in the views of the nearby Firehole River, as well as the impressive walls of Firehole Canyon. Meanwhile, the kids found a way to get their shoes wet while balancing on stones that were half-submerged in the water. In any event, I highly recommend that you pass through this small area of the park because it is truly beautiful, and also less crowded.

Lower Geyser Basin

As we completed the short Firehole Canyon Drive, we merged back on the main road and continued driving south. Our next stop was Fountain Paint Pot in the Lower Geyser Basin, one of the more popular areas in the park. Luckily, we managed to find available parking spots for both of our cars. Without wasting any time, we made our way to the nearby Fountain Paint Pot boardwalk.

Fountain Paint Pot Trail

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Fountain Paint Pot Trail: EASY boardwalk, 0.5 miles round trip; here is an interactive map of the trail

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The very first thing we noticed was a copse of semi-petrified Lodgepole pine trees, sticking out of a wet, thermal area. It appeared they hadn’t exactly picked the best spot to put down roots. A little further along the trail we came to Celestine Pool, which was a beautiful, deep, blue color.

The boardwalk then led us to an area of abundant bacterial growth which manifested itself as bright, orange layers. From there we slowly made our way past Silex Spring and stopped for a couple of minutes at Fountain Paint Pot. This was a large, bubbling mud puddle after which the area was named. It was quite mesmerizing watching all these mud bubbles rise up and splatter with a funny sound. After enjoying this muddy show for a while longer, we continued following the boardwalk, passing a couple of dry, steaming and hissing holes called fumaroles.

The Pocket Gopher

Then, just as we walked past Leather Pool, we noticed a good size group of people staring and pointing at something on the ground. Of course, we had to join in and find out what was happening. There was a small hole in the dirt, and a tiny, furry head kept popping out of it from time to time. The little critter seemed to be working very hard, digging and reshaping its mini home, enthralling all the kids in the crowd! After enjoying the spectacle for a while, we moved on when the furry, little digger finally decided to take a break, and disappeared inside the hole for good. I later found out it was a Pocket Gopher, a burrowing rodent that lives primarily underground, so we were really lucky to see him…or her.

One Lazy and One Crazy Geyser

Our next short stop was near Fountain Geyser, which, I had read, was a truly beautiful sight when erupting. However, at the time we passed by, it seemed quite sleepy and there wasn’t any kind of activity happening. We knew another eruption might not occur for several hours, so we moved on to one of its neighbors. Nearby Clepsydra Geyser, on the other hand, seemed perfectly happy to provide continuous entertainment. This was a perky, little geyser, encircled by bright orange bacterial growth. It kept on splashing and gushing without interruption, and we stopped to enjoy the show for awhile.

After we enjoyed Clepsydra’s lovely display, we strolled back to the parking lot and made our way to nearby Firehole Lake Drive.

Firehole Lake Drive

This is another area of Lower Geyser Basin that contains a variety of interesting thermal features. We made a couple of short stops here, near Great Fountain Geyser and White Dome Geyser. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see them during a time when they were active, but they still looked fascinating. Great Fountain Geyser was surrounded by still water with a perfectly smooth, mirror-like surface. White Dome, on the other hand was a cone geyser that was mostly white in color, and looked like a mini volcano. Here is a little more information about Firehole Lake Drive if you care to check it out.

After we took a few photos and observed these curious formations for a few minutes, we headed towards our next point of interest – Midway Geyser Basin. This was a stop I had been particularly excited about, as it is home to one of my most favorite Yellowstone attractions: Grand Prismatic Spring. Of course, up to this point I had only seen it in pictures, so I was utterly thrilled to finally meet it in person!

Did you know that there are between 1,000 and 3,000 #earthquakes in #Yellowstone National Park every year!?! 😯 #NationalParks

— Vessy (@feelgoodntravel) November 1, 2018

Midway Geyser Basin

We drove for a short distance and pulled up to the jam-packed parking lot at Midway Geyser Basin. There wasn’t a single parking spot available, so people created their own parking spaces, lining up near curbs and grass patches. Incredibly, even those made-up parking spaces were all taken, and we had no choice but to head for the exit and try to come back later. Just then, as my frustration was starting to take over, a couple of cars pulled out of their cozy parking spots right in front of us! In an instant, we were back in business! My parents pulled up in one of the spots, and we maneuvered in the other.

Midway Geyser Basin Trail and Geothermal Features

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Midway Geyser Basin Trail: EASY boardwalk, 0.8 miles round trip

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As I got out of the car, I could feel my heart pounding, and my excitement couldn’t be contained. Grand Prismatic Spring was within walking distance now, and I was about to see it with my own two eyes!

Excelsior Geyser

We followed the groups of people to the nearby bridge, which took us across Firehole River. From there, we walked for a short distance and arrived at the first thermal feature along the trail, and one of Yellowstone’s largest – the impressive Excelsior Geyser. It was a gorgeous blue color, obscured by massive amounts of steam coming from the surface. A small amount of water from Excelsior Geyser ran off into the Firehole River below, following colorful, bacteria-lined channels. It was a beautiful and mystical sight.

Turquoise Pool

As we reached the looping section of Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk, we took a right turn and walked over to nearby Turquoise Pool. As the name suggests, this pool was a stunning, deep turquoise color that contrasted beautifully with the surrounding bright hues of bacterial growth. What really took my breath away was how the pool’s perfectly smooth surface reflected the puffy clouds and the sky above. It looked so colorful and surreal, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was staring into an exquisite painting.

Opal Pool

The next geothermal feature along the boardwalk was the small Opal Pool. It was pretty but not quite as impressive as the previous two attractions. I do have to mention here that at the time we saw it, the water level was quite low. It’s my guess that its last eruption, less than a year earlier, had caused Opal Pool to drain, and it was taking a while to fill back up.

Grand Prismatic Spring and a Few Clouds

After spending a couple of minutes at Opal Pool, we headed towards the much anticipated final attraction on the trail Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in America and the third largest in the world!

We were almost there when several large, brazen clouds moved in and rudely blocked the sun. As you can imagine, this dulled the vibrancy of all hues and colors. I became more than just a little frustrated, and vowed to not leave until the clouds cleared. Meanwhile, hubby was holding onto our two squirming kids with vice grips making sure they didn’t jump in one of the pools. Let’s just say, he didn’t look overly excited about waiting around. Don’t get me wrong, Grand Prismatic Spring is breathtaking under any lighting conditions, but I could only imagine how incredible it would look illuminated by the sun.

After standing around for a good while, I started to lose hope that those annoying clouds would ever move. At the same time, my family was urging me to leave as they were all getting quite impatient. Saddened by these circumstances, I turned off my camera and slowly started to walk away.

Return of the Sun

We were halfway across the bridge over the Firehole River and very close to our cars when suddenly, everything brightened up. The Sun had just returned, and was now peeking through the clouds, gently inviting me to go back. I didn’t need much convincing, so I hollered to my family that I was running back, and assured everyone I would be quick. Then I ran back towards Grand Prismatic Spring as fast as I could, while trying not to mow down too many people along the way.

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TIP: If you arrive to Grand Prismatic Spring under cloudy skies, and there is a chance that the clouds will clear soon, stick around! The colors of Grand Prismatic Spring really pop when illuminated by sunlight! It is an extraordinary sight, and your pictures will look much more saturated with color.

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Seeing Grand Prismatic Spring in a New Light

After what felt like a really long and tiring jog, I returned to the boardwalk near Grand Prismatic. As soon as I saw the spring, I knew it was totally worth it. Under the sunlight, its soft blue hues glowed through the steam rising from the surface. The surrounding orange bacterial layers appeared so saturated with color that I felt I had to readjust my camera settings in order to capture all the nuances. Mesmerized by the sight, I snapped picture after picture, never feeling quite confident that I was doing this place justice. I wished I could somehow levitate over the spring and take a closer look in the center. Grand Prismatic is so huge that from the boardwalk, it is not possible to see the layers below the surface.

Just as I was trying to find new angles for a dozen more photos, everything turned darker. Several large clouds moved back in and blocked the sun, serving as a reminder that it was probably time to go. This is when I finally parted with Grand Prismatic Spring and rushed back to the car where everyone was waiting for me.

Grand Prismatic Spring From Above

As I already mentioned, Grand Prismatic Spring appeared almost too big to take in and capture from the boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin. Fortunately, as of July 2017, a new viewing platform for visitors opened, and from there you can get an aerial perspective of this natural wonder.

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TIP: You can see Grand Prismatic Spring and the rest of Midway Geyser Basin from the nearby viewing platform (check out the picture below). To get there, drive south on Grand Loop Road from Midway Geyser Basin for about a mile, then park near Fairy Falls Trailhead. Follow Fairy Falls Trail for 0.6 miles to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Expect to climb 105 feet from the parking lot to the viewpoint.

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The Journey Continues

From Midway Geyser Basin, our journey for the day was far from over. We kept driving further south along the Grand Loop, and were amazed at all the incredible sights that awaited! Join us on our adventures through the massive Upper Geyser Basin. This is where you find Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin, and the almighty Old Faithful!

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Resources to Help Plan Your Trip to Yellowstone

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• The Official Website for the Park – The official Yellowstone website by the National Park Service. Here you can find everything you need to know about Yellowstone.
• MAP of Yellowstone National Park – A map of Yellowstone from the National Park Service cartography site.
• My Yellowstone Park – A nice website that offers great resources and information about Yellowstone National Park. You can even get a FREE Yellowstone Trip Planner.
• Yellowstone National Park Apps – Here is information about the FREE Yellowstone Apps you can download for your smart phone.

Lodging and Dining

• Yellowstone National Park Lodges – Visit this website to see all available lodging options within the park, and to make a reservation.
• RV Rental – Here is a great website where you can rent an RV near your home, or if you prefer, rent an RV near Yellowstone. This is sure to make for an exciting and unforgettable adventure!
• Where to Eat in Yellowstone – Stop by this web page from the National Park Service to see all the dining options inside the park. This would be especially useful if you aren’t planning to bring your own food.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, the photos in this post were taken by Vessy with a Nikon D3100 camera. Please send us an e-mail (vessy@feelgoodandtravel.com) if you would like to use any of them. All images are subject to copyright laws.

This trip took place on August 13, 2015.

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