Visit the best hot springs of Yellowstone

Stef Zisovska
Morning Glory Pool. Yellowstone NP - Author: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta - CC BY-SA 4.0
Morning Glory Pool. Yellowstone NP - Author: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta - CC BY-SA 4.0

If what you’re looking for this summer is a vacation different from everything you see on the TV, start thinking out of the box. Maybe it’s time to try something new and leave the beach vacation for next season. Yellowstone National Park is a place where you can find volcanic hot springs that will win your heart. This geological wonderland is full of natural pools and geysers in wild colors, attracting visitors to celebrate nature’s creations. In fact, 60 percent of the world’s hot springs and geysers are in Yellowstone National Park. So, if you want to see the real thing, you know where to go.

Grand Prismatic Spring – Author: Jim Peaco, National Park Service
Grand Prismatic Spring – Author: Jim Peaco, National Park Service

Morning Glory Pool

Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The name of the hot spring comes from the Latin “convolutus,” which means Morning Glory flower. Since 1889, Morning Glory became the official name of the hot spring.

Morning Glory Pool, NPS Photo Archive
Morning Glory Pool, NPS Photo Archive

The beautiful colors of the water are due to a bacteria that inhabits the spring, so if you were thinking to have a swim, forget about it. This natural beauty spot has suffered from visitors who contaminate the area with their waste, so the Park authorities have taken action as they endeavor to resolve these issues. If you visit this Yellowstone gem, treat it with respect and save it for the next visitors to come.

Abyss Pool

Abyss Pool is a hot spring in the West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The visibility of the objects in its deep abysses inspired Chief Park Naturalist Clyde M. Bauer in naming the pool.

Abyss Pool – Author: DXR – CC BY – SA 4.0
Abyss Pool – Author: DXR – CC BY – SA 4.0

It’s 53 feet deep and 181 degrees Fahrenheit throughout all year. Abyss Pool erupted for the first time between 1987 and 1991 and again between 1991 and 1992 when it returned to its steady state. Its crystal blue water a must-see for any visitor to Yellowstone National Park.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and a third largest in the world. This spring has the exact colors of a rainbow including red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. This color palette comes from the microbial mats that live on the edge of the pool. The intensity of the color depends on the amount of chlorophyll and the temperature of the water. Grand Prismatic Spring is 160 feet deep, with a diameter of 370 feet. The center of the pool is blue because of the lack of microbes in that part of the water.

Grand Prismatic Spring – Author: James St. John – CC-BY 2.0
Grand Prismatic Spring – Author: James St. John – CC-BY 2.0

Visiting the hot springs of Yellowstone is a great adventure for all. If you want to have a different experience this summer, then this is a perfect vacation for you. By seeing these hot and boiling springs, you will understand the real power of nature and learn to respect it more.

In the end, we are all just visitors here who need to respect Earth’s rules. Enjoy your “boiling” holiday!

If you have any comments, please drop us a message on our Outdoor Revival Facebook page.

If you have a good story to tell or blog, let us know about it on our FB page. We’re also happy for article or review submissions; we’d love to hear from you.

We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it. Outdoor Revival – Reconnecting us all with the outdoors.

stef-zisovska

stef-zisovska is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival