Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The Grand Prismatic is the thermal feature that is most photographed in Yellowstone National Park and after taking one look at it, it’s easy to see why!

Look at all those colors! The Grand Prismatic’s hot waters travel from a crack 121 feet below the crust to reach us. The Grand is the third largest spring in the world and is deeper than a 10 story building and wider than a football field. The beautiful colors come from a variety of different bacteria present in the thermal feature. You have two options when visiting Grand Prismatic, you can walk the wooden boardwalks throughout the area or opt for the hike which allows you to see the Grand from a lookout. The hike is called the Fairy Falls hike and is one of the easier walks at Yellowstone. There are also smaller thermal features throughout the area.

Grand is extremely popular so it’s best to go early. There is parking at the site on both ends but be prepared to be looping for a spot for 15-20 minutes should you go during peak times. The walk up Fairy Falls is steep and dusty so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and if you have hiking poles bring them. The top of the walk gives you an amazing view from the lookout!

The Grand is located within the Midway Geyser Basin and very close to Old Faithful so you can easily visit both places in the same visit. Bring your water, bug spray and hiking hats for this one!

Need help planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park? You can find me on Facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel or you can email me at callie@wanderkeep.com

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About Author

I'm Callie, a wanderer and travel planner who enjoys all things Disney, taking the winding road, soaking in the sun, seeing the Fall leaves and planning! I believe in taking the trip, setting the goal and making memories. Come with me as we do all the things in all the places.

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