How to See Grand Prismatic Spring: What You Need to Know  

If you are headed to Yellowstone National Park, you absolutely cannot miss the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring.

I’d heard about this before I went there for the first time and I’d seen the pictures on the internet, but I was still totally unprepared for how incredible it is.

It’s like this enormous sun landed on earth. Well, I guess it would be a very small sun, but it’s a very large hot spring and you get the idea. In fact, it’s the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and you won’t want to miss it.

Because Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most popular attractions in the park. And because Yellowstone can get very crowded because when you go to see the spring can impact what you see, there’s a surprising amount of things to consider.

We’re going to look at where to find the best views, the best time to go, how to get there, parking strategies, and more.

Watch this guide to Grand Prismatic Spring on video:

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There are actually two main ways to see Grand Prismatic Spring and we’re going to look at both of them.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is Grand Prismatic Spring and what is all the fuss about?

The spring is almost 250 to 350 feet. The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States, and it’s actually the third largest in the world.

It’s the biggest and brightest of the many colored pools or hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. It’s bright blue, but this changes color throughout the year.

The colors are really interesting. They’re a result of microbes in the water and they can change depending on the temperature of the water. So in the summer, the edges are more orange and in the winter they’re usually a dark green.

Where is Grand Prismatic Spring?

The spring is located in the Midway Geyer Basin area of the park, which is in the western part of the northern loop of the figure eight Grand Loop Drive.

If you’re coming from West Yellowstone or the north, it’s about 45 minutes away. You’ll pass through Lower Geyer Basin first, and then you’ll get to Midway Geyser Basin. For reference, Old Faithful is in the Upper Geyser Basin, which is about another 10 to 15 minutes further down the road if you’re headed from West Yellowstone or the north.

Is Grand Prismatic Spring dangerous?

People ask me this sometimes. The answer is yes, like all of the hot springs in the park, which is why the boardwalk is there. So do not go off the boardwalk.

You’ll occasionally see videos of completely insane people who have ventured off the boardwalk. It’s incredibly dangerous. There’s a very thin crust and if you go through the water is scalding and will rip all the flesh off your bones. You do not want that to happen.

It will also damage the environment. It’s bad news all round. So, stick to the boardwalk. The spring is about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, so it may look tempting, but do not swim in it. Do not go off the boardwalk. It looks tempting, but it is not a swimming pool.

There are two ways to experience Grand Prismatic Spring.

The first is the boardwalk. The Midway Geyser boardwalk goes around the edges of the giant hot spring that gives you a closeup view. The other way to experience the hot springs is the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail. And this gives you a more panoramic, more aerial view of the Springs.

Midway Geyser Boardwalk

Let’s look at the boardwalk first. As I mentioned, it goes very close to the spring. It’s a one-way loop. It’s about 0.8 miles and it’s on the boardwalk, so when you start from the parking area, it crosses the Firestone River. And then it goes around the nearest edge of Grand Prismatic Spring, and this is a really good chance to see the colors up close.

It also passes the huge Excelsior Geyser Crater, as well as the much smaller Turquoise Pool and Opal Pool. So there’s more than just the Grand Prismatic Spring on that boardwalk. You can also see the hot spring water joining the Firehole River in this gush of steam, which I think is kind of cool.

Parking for Midway Geyser Basin

This is what you need to know – or one of the things that you need to know. You will need to park at the Midway Geyser Basin parking area for the boardwalk.

Considering that Grand Prismatic Spring is the most famous and the most popular hot spring in Yellowstone, the parking area is surprisingly small. If the parking is full, there are large pullouts on the main Grand Loop road very close to the Midway Geyser Basin where you can park. But because parking is a problem, you do need to think about timing.

When is the best time to go and walk along the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic Spring and Midway Geyser Basin?

I recommend going there first thing because of parking. Now, first thing is not great for one other aspect, which is the mist.

The steam or the mist hangs over the hot springs early in the morning, semi obscuring them actually. And this is because the air is colder and therefore there’s a greater difference in the temperature between the hot spring and the air. And this results in the mist that forms over the water.

This typically burns off later in the day. From that perspective, it’s better to go later. But parking is a nightmare. So, I think that the closeup view is generally okay in the morning. That’s why I recommend going there so that you don’t need to deal with the parking situation.

Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook

The other way to see Grand Prismatic Spring is from the overlook. It’s really nice seeing the colors up close on the boardwalk, but to see the classic view of the whole pools with those orange sun-like rays emanating from it, and the edges of yellow and green and the brilliant dark blue color and the whole shape and everything – like it sort of swirls coming from a multicolored sun. To see that view, then you really need to see them from above.

You don’t have a drone. Drones are illegal in the parks. You don’t want to try that anyway, so the option is to see them from the overlook.

To do that, you will need to take the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail. As I mentioned, this gives you a semi aerial view. It’s the classic view that you’ll see in the photos.

A quick summary of the trail to the Grand Prismatic Spring: the details: it’s rated easy to moderate. It’s only 0.6 miles each way / 1.2 miles return. The first 0.4 miles is flat. The last 0.2 miles is a little bit steep.

And then if you want, you can continue on to Fairy Falls itself. The Fairy Falls trail is 2.5 miles each way.

The elevation gain is 101 feet, and it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the overlook. If you decide to continue onto Fairy Falls, then the whole Fairy Falls trail takes about two and a half to three hours.

➡️ Read my Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail Guide for more details

What’s the best time of day to go to the overlook?

It may be tempting to go there early to beat the crowds as I recommended for the boardwalk.

But this is one of those places that that actually doesn’t pay off because the spring is often covered in mist in the morning when the temperature difference between the pools and the air is at its greatest and the mist can often partially or even almost fully obscure the views of the pool from the overlook.

You can see the springs and the color from the boardwalk not too bad, even when there’s mist, but to see the view from above, if they’re completely obscured in mist, it’s kind of not worth going. That’s why I recommend going in the afternoon, even though that is when the crowds are the largest. Even though that is when you’re going to have to struggle the most to get a parking spot.

So, I do recommend waiting. One option if you wanted to go in the morning is to hike to Fairy Falls first and then visit the overlook on the way back when it’s a little bit later in the day and the mist has had more chance to burn off. You may find yourself waiting for someone to leave before you can get a parking spot.

The other thing to be aware of is the trail does close for part of the year. The trail is in the bear management area, so it’s closed from March through Memorial Day typically. Now the park’s Grand Loop Road is closed for the winter through May typically, so they overlap. It’s not that impactful. So generally the trails open from late May to early November.

That can vary depending on when the snow comes in and when it starts to block the road. So if you’re planning to go in late spring or fall, I recommend checking the park’s website for road closures just to make sure that they’re not going to impact your ability to get there.

Parking for the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail

This is the Fairy Falls parking lot, not the Grand Prismatic Springs or the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot. That one is for the boardwalk, which is about a mile away, and there is no trail from the Grand Prismatic Springs parking area to the Overlook Trail. So you do need to drive from one to the other.

The Fairy Falls parking lot is larger than the Midway Geyer Basin parking lot, but the trail is very popular, and it does get full.

You can check the park’s website for current parking conditions. But I recommend just taking your chances. You may need to circle a parking lot before you find a space as someone else leaves but just be patient.

One thing to note though, and this is a downside if you have an RV, is that RVs, buses and trailers are not allowed in this parking lot. So, if you do then really the only option is the long, more than a mile walk from the Midway Geyer Basin parking lot to get to the trailhead.

But it’s along the main road. There are no trails, so it’s really not ideal and I don’t recommend it. But if you have an RV trailer and you really want to see the view, that’s probably the only option you have.

Which is best: the boardwalk or the overlook?

In my opinion, if you only have time for one, the Grand Prismatic Hot Springs Overlook is the absolute thing not to be missed.

The overlook provides a much better view of Grand Prismatic Spring than the boardwalk. So if you are short for time and you have to choose between the two, you absolutely should choose the overlook.

You’ll probably have a chance to get close to other colored springs, so it wouldn’t be too terrible to skip the boardwalk if you’re short on time, but it would be a real shame to miss the view from the overlook, so you can see the shape and the colors and all the surrounding area.

➡️ If you’re also planning to visit the Grand Tetons, read my Guide to Grand Teton National Park and get a detailed Grand Teton itinerary.

Travel Insurance for Yellowstone   

No matter what you see and do in Yellowstone, you should definitely get travel insurance.  This can protect you not only against medical and emergency repatriation, but can cover things like trip cancellation, loss and/ or theft of property, etc.  

➡️ A great insurance option is Travelex.  It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now: 

Enjoy the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring!

More Planning Resources for Yellowstone National Park

What are your favorite Yellowstone things to do?  Are there any other activities in Yellowstone National Park not listed here?  I’d love to hear about them.  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).  

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About the Author

James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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