Grand Prismatic Spring

As the days wore on, the sky got smokier and smokier, so one day we decided to drive back us and go to the Grand Prismatic Spring. We had skipped it before because the crowds were so big and I was regretting it.

A favorite place in Yellowstone

So, we drove back up. As we approached, we could see the steaming lake from the road.

If you look closely, you can see reflected blue and orange in the steam

We waited in a long line of cars for about 30 minutes for a parking space (which someone actually tried to take by going around us!). Parking is insane and, apparently, not well enforced.

Well, there you are

Then, we walked out to the pool. It was crowded and hot, but worth it. Because the outside temperature was hot, we could really see the colors.

Interesting orange and yellow

If you go when it is cold out, it's like walking through a thick cloud; sometimes so thick that staying on the path is difficult, which is dangerous. The steam still obscured a lot of the turquoise on Grand Prismatic, but the orange and yellow algae was spectacular.

Heat improves the view

Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand ...

Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia

... and Boiling Lake in Dominica ...

Photo: Atlas Obscura

I think Grand Prismatic is definitely the most beautiful.

You can't beat this

The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of fur trappers from the American Fur Company noted a "boiling lake" in the Midway Geyser Basin.

 The color depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and the water temperature

The bright colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The colors range from green to red; In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red; in the winter, the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat

The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the scattering of blue light by particles suspended in the water. This, of course is impossible to see without being above the pool, which a normal tourist can't do. A drone would get it -- but (for good reason) drones are illegal in national parks.

You can't really see the whole pool

The spring is approximately 370 feet in diameter and 121 feet deep. It discharges about 560 gallons of 160 °F water per minute.

When you walk to the pool, you cross over the Firehole River and can see hot water cascading down the rock to mix with the cold river water.

The boiling water empties into the river

Also along the boardwalk to Grand Prismatic, you pass the Excelsior Geyser Basin ....

So beautiful

... Turquoise Pool …

Aptly named

I wish they would make the boardwalk a one-way loop. I can’t see any reason not to, but instead people can come at Grand Prismatic from either direction. It is crowded, often slick and has no railings. People do some stupid things, so it is always a little scary to walk out there. I have had people push me, step backwards into me as they take selfies and run past me. 

This is dangerous territory

The environment is very fragile and the water very hot, so it is dangerous to step or all off the boardwalk. Still, some people are either idiots or just rude. A one-way loop might help.

Even though it was a long drive, I am glad we went back because it is so pretty and I got some great photos of one of America’s (and the world’s) true natural wonders.

I can't get enough of this

Trip date: July 30-August 5, 2016