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 alerts (3)
Park-wide, from the National Park Service. All current conditions at nps.gov
- Most Park Roads Closed to All Vehicles (Park Closure): Most roads are closed to prepare for commercially-guided snowcoach and snowmobile travel during the winter season, which will begin December 15 (weather depending). The road between the North and Northeast entrances i…
- 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 November 24, 2026. Oversized/overweight vehicles (8'6"+ wide, 75'+ long, 80,000 lbs+ gross vehicle w…
From the National Park Service, updated 2:47 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.
