Why spend time at Midway Geyser Basin?
Grand Prismatic Spring is truly a site that is unique and top of my list for Yellowstone. It is one of the most photographic spots in the park. The Midway Geyser Basin contains two of the largest hot springs in the world. In addition to the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Excelsior Geyser is also a sight that needs to be seen to understand the splendor of this hot spring. While a small area in comparison to Upper Geyser Basin, it is worth the time to walk around.
Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the third largest hot spring in the world and the largest in the United States. It is set on a spreading mound where the water flow around the perimeter. What makes Grand Prismatic Spring so special is the colors. The center is a deep blue spreading outward to an almost green with the spillover of oranges and yellows. Walking the path around the springs you get the waves of heat as is spills over. BUT…
Fairy Falls Trail
You can’t truly appreciate how beautiful the hot spring is without a hike up Fairy Falls Trail to get a higher view of the colors. The hike is 1.6 miles out and back hike that is slightly uphill, but we considered it easy. This is where you can truly appreciate the marvel of it and get a picture. The trail continues to Fairy Falls and the full trail is 4.8 miles.
Excelsior Geyser
The Excelsior Geyser was once the largest geyser in the world, but it went dormant in the 1880’s. It did erupt in 1985 for two days, but was only 80 feet high compared to 300 feet from the 1800s. Currently the hot spring discharges over 4000 gallons per minute and has numerous boiling vents creating a layer of steam. The steam creates a crazy sensation of heat mixed with normal air temperature that occasionally takes your breath away.
Turquoise Pool
Finally at the same spot is the Turquoise Pool. The water is a beautiful blue color with mineral deposits that add a shimmering nature
Parking
This is one of the places where parking is a big problem. We did come in once and decided to come back at a later time. It is packed all day, but you just need to persevere and have a little bit of luck. We found our best luck later in the day after 3pm. Others recommend very early in the morning. We heard that earlier in the day there is more steam and the overlook is not as fabulous. People do not stay at this site long, so if you circle through a couple of times you should be lucky. The national park website also gives parking alerts that you can check.
