Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin is famous for its vivid colors, rings of deep blue fading to green, yellow and orange. It is Yellowstone's largest hot spring, 200 to 330 feet across and more than 121 feet deep, and one of the most photographed places in the park.
A short boardwalk leads from the Midway Geyser Basin parking area, which fills quickly from mid-morning. For the view from above, take the overlook trail from the Fairy Falls trailhead, about 0.6 miles with a short climb. Seeing it from both gives two dramatically different perspectives.
Conditions now
National park alerts and road events
Yellowstone National Park, 15.2 mi away
- Park alerts
- 5
- Closure alerts
- 1
- West Thumb Geyser Basin Boardwalk - Partial Closure (Information): A section of the West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk will be closed to Fishing Cone and Lakeshore Geyser through mid-October while crews replace damaged support structures along the shoreline. The remaining sections of …
- Stay Away From Bull Elk (Caution): Bull elk are fast and unpredictable this time of year and can seriously injure people. If an elk charges, run. In addition to staying at least 25 yards (23 m) away from elk and bison, always stay at least 100 yards (9…
- Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion (Park Closure): The parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River at Biscuit Basin, located north of Old Faithful, is closed to all travel until further notice due to the possibility of another event at the site of a hydrothermal explos…
- Traffic Delays - Gardner River High Bridge (Information): Expect a single lane of traffic with up to 15-minute delays, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 through late October 2026. Oversized/overweight vehicles (8'6"+ wide, 75'+ long, 80,000 lbs+ gross vehicle w…
- Vehicle Entrance Reservation Not Needed (Information): Although an entrance pass is required to enter Yellowstone National Park, vehicle reservations are not needed. You are encouraged to purchase an entrance pass before arriving, but you may also purchase passes at any e…
From the National Park Service, updated 2:32 am.
On the map
Cabins closest to the West Entrance
Yellowstone has no cabins of ours inside the park, so these are the ones nearest its West Entrance.
