12 Best Hot Springs In Yellowstone & Where to Find Them

Yellowstone National Park, the land of smoke and fire, lives up to its name in every way imaginable.

The park is a bubbling cauldron of geothermal activity that mesmerizes visitors with its sizzling, steaming, and bursting geysers, mud pots, and fumaroles.

But the real showstoppers here are the hot springs - colorful pools of superheated water that shimmer in all hues of the rainbow.

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If you're wondering how many hot springs there are in Yellowstone, the answer is mind-boggling.

With an estimated 10,000 hydrothermal features, Yellowstone is a veritable treasure trove of geothermal wonders.

The majority of these 10,000 features are hot springs, each one more breathtaking than the last.

With literally thousands of hot springs in the park, which ones are the most iconic? The most beautiful? The most unique?

Check out our list below for our 12 favorite Yellowstone hot springs. We’ll tell you where they are, why they’re special, and how to find them.

1. Grand Prismatic Spring

Shutterstock Image

Location: Southwest on the Southern Loop, Midway Geyser Basin,

Accessible by: Short walk or short hike

Let’s kick the list off with what’s arguably the best, and certainly the biggest hot spring in the park—no wait, in the United States!

As its name implies, Grand Prismatic boasts vibrant hues of blues, greens, and oranges.

You can either observe the hot spring from the boardwalk or go to the Fairy Falls overlook, which is a 1.2-mile roundtrip hike. Both are highly recommended.

Other great hot springs in the basin include Turquoise Pool, Excelsior Geyser, and Opal Pool.

2. Minerva Terrace

Image from Flickr by Bernt Rostad

Location: Northwest of the Northern Loop, just south of the North Entrance

Accessible by: Short hike, drive

You may already recognize Mammoth Hot Springs as a white travertine wonderland from photos and social media.

But what you seldom see is that all of the terraces are built by steaming, flowing hot springs.

Listing all of the amazing hot springs here would take me all day, and honestly, you just need to see them for yourself.

To explore all of Mammoth, you’ll want to visit both the driveable Upper Basin and the walkable Lower Basin.

The hike around the lower basin is another easy boardwalk trail, just about 1.75 miles in a loop.

Mammoth’s major highlights: Canary Spring, Palette Spring, Liberty Cap, Orange Spring Mound, and more.

3. Emerald Spring

Image from Flickr by Yellowstone National Park

Location: Center West, Norris Geyser Basin

Accessible by: Short hike

No trip to Yellowstone is complete without a stop at Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest, largest, and most acidic of all the park’s basins!

Emerald Spring is probably Norris’s most famous hot spring, a spectacular emerald green pool rimmed with yellow sulfur deposits, but there is so much more to see here.

I do encourage you to explore all of the basins if you can. Be sure to take the 2.9-mile Norris Basin boardwalk trail to see all that the basin has to offer.

This basin has a diverse mix of hot springs, geysers, and mudpots, so, whatever your favorite is, you’ll find it here.

Some other Norris highlights are: Steamboat Geyser, Echinus Geyser, and Porkchop Geyser.

4. Beryl Spring

Image from Flickr by Clinton Steeds

Location: Northwest of the Southern Loop

Accessed by: Roadside

Beryl Spring is an unexpected park favorite that you won’t want to miss. Instead of being hidden in a basin, this big, blue beauty may be found right next to the road.

The spring is about 60 feet wide and has a depth of about 16 feet. The water in Beryl Spring is crystal clear and varies in temperature, ranging from about 140°F (60°C) to 176°F (80°C).

If you can, try to visit this hot spring on a clear, sunny day. It’s so bright, it almost seems to glow!

5. Morning Glory Pool

Shutterstock Image

Location: Southwest of the Southern Loop, Old Faithful Geyser Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

The still-stunning Morning Glory Pool provides an excellent lesson in the need for ethical tourism.

Visitors today see an electrifying green, yellow, and orange hot spring. But, just 50 years ago, this hot spring was a brilliant, true blue.

Since the early days of Yellowstone’s tourism, thousands of pounds of coins, rubbish, pebbles, and sticks have been tossed into the spring.

This vandalism eventually clogged up the spring, reducing its circulation and lowering the temperature of the water.

This changed the hot spring's entire ecosystem, allowing orange and yellow bacteria to flourish, and causing the spring to appear green.

While the now-green Morning Glory remains a park favorite, you’ll also want to check out the other highlights on the 4.9-mile, one-way Upper Geyser Basin Trail. These include Old Faithful Geyser, Chromatic Pool, Blue Star Geyser, and many, many more.

6. Sapphire Pool

Shutterstock Image

Location: Southwest of the Southern Loop, Biscuit Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

Sapphire Pool truly is a precious gem of the park and one of the most brilliant hot springs you’ll see on your trip.

It’s the riot of colors that makes Sapphire Pool truly unforgettable. The waters closest to the pool's edge are stained a brilliant shade of orange by heat-loving bacteria, while the deeper parts of the pool range from aquamarine to cerulean, shifting in hue as the sunlight plays upon them.

Of course, Biscuit Basin has so much more to offer than just Sapphire Pool. You’ll also want to see the Black Opal Pool and Coral Geyser, all along the 0.6-mile Biscuit Basin boardwalk loop.

7. Chromatic Pool

Image from Flickr by Yellowstone National Park

Location: Center west, Norris Geyser Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

As you approach the Chromatic pool, the bubbling water greets you with a steamy, misty haze. The water itself is a kaleidoscope of colors, ranging from deep blues and greens to vibrant yellows and oranges. Fascinating patterns blend and mix the colors, creating a mesmerizing display, while delicate, feathery silica formations fringe the edges of the pool.

If you weren’t convinced to visit Norris Geyser Basin for Emerald Spring, you should be now!

8. Crested Pool

Image from Flickr by Yellowstone National Park

Location: Southwest of the Southern Loop, Old Faithful Geyser Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

Another Upper Geyser Basin favorite, this blue-green pool can be found right by famous Castle Geyser–both just a short walk away from Old Faithful.

A border of delicate, scalloped rocks surrounds the pool, encrusted with golden minerals and thermal bacteria. And as you peer down into the pool's depths, you'll see a series of concentric rings and ridges, which give the pool a crested appearance.

9. Black Opal Pool

Image from Flickr by James St. John

Location: Southwest of the Southern Loop, Biscuit Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

This hot spring may be on the smaller side, but this shining opal is one of our absolute park favorites.

When you approach the pool, the first thing you’ll notice is how it appears to be illuminated by a pale blue, almost otherworldly light.

The glowing effect is created by the interplay of light and minerals in the water.

As sunlight hits the pool, it reflects off the mineral deposits and creates a shimmering, almost ethereal effect.

10. Celestine Pool

Image from Flickr by Doug Letterman

Location: Western side of Southern Loop, Fountain Paint Pots

Accessed by: Short hike

As you approach the pool, you'll be struck by its delicate beauty. The pool is surrounded by a delicate border of white mineral deposits, which contrast beautifully with the cool blues and greens of the water.

This hot spring is just one of several beautiful features located along the short, 0.6-mile Fountain Paint Pot boardwalk. Be sure to also stop to see Spasm Geyser, Silex Geyser, and Leather Pool.

11. Black Pool

Shutterstock Image

Location: Southern Loop near South Entrance Road, West Thumb Geyser Basin

Accessed by: Short hike

Black Pool is a hot spring located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin that gets its name from its deep, dark blue color. The pool is approximately 75 feet deep and has a temperature that averages around 187°F (86°C).

The dark blue color of the pool comes from the way the water absorbs different wavelengths of light, with the deeper parts of the pool absorbing more of the red, yellow, and green light, leaving the blue light to reflect back to our eyes.

Of course, there’s plenty more to see in the West Thumb Geyser Basin, including Thumb Geyser, Fishing Cone, and Abyss Pool.

12. Firehole Swimming Area

Image from Flickr by Yellowstone National Park

Location: Western side of Southern Loop, near west entrance

Accessed by: Short walk

Our final hot spring recommendation is a little different. The hot spring itself, Excelsior Geyser, is not visible from the Firehole River.

What makes this area unique is that you can swim in hot spring waters. Or rather, you can swim in the mixed river water. (Visitors are not permitted to swim directly in hot springs, only in mixed water.)

This is one of just two areas in the park where tourists can swim legally and safely. Temperatures can rise as high as 86 °F (30 °C), depending on conditions.

Please note: The current in the river can be strong in places. Please keep a close watch on children and people with mobility issues.

Yellowstone Hot Springs Map

Final Tips

We hope you're excited to witness the marvels of Yellowstone firsthand. However, it is essential to remember that while hot springs are beautiful, they are also incredibly dangerous.

These pools of scalding water are not meant for bathing or play, and falling into one could be fatal.

Therefore, it is vital to stay on designated paths and be vigilant of your surroundings, especially if you have young children with you.

The ground around the hot springs is unstable, and collapses can occur suddenly. Yellowstone's landscape is constantly shifting and evolving, so it's essential to be cautious at all times.

Besides being hazardous, the hot springs in Yellowstone are also extremely delicate. Any physical contact can cause irreversible damage.

Therefore, refrain from throwing anything into them or getting too close to the edges.

Yellowstone has so much to offer that it can be challenging to decide what to see and do. If you need help planning your trip, be sure to check out our 7-day itinerary and 3-Day itinerary for suggestions. Remember, safety is paramount, so always exercise caution while exploring the wonders of Yellowstone.

We hope that we’ve given you all the information you need to make the most of your day. Your vacation is extremely important to us so if you have any questions feel free to reach out at aloha@shakaguide.com.

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