Fountain Paint Pots, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, USA

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Photo ofFountain Paint Pots, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, USA

Author

mclivancouver

with 1 trail buddy

5,550 189 2155

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Trail stats

Distance: 0.83 mi
Elevation gain: 10 ft
Technical difficulty: Easy
Elevation loss: 10 ft
Max elevation: 7,303 ft
TrailRank: 59
Min elevation: 7,253 ft
Trail type: Loop

Moving time: 29 minutes
Time: 35 minutes
Coordinates: 220
Uploaded: June 14, 2019
Recorded: June 2019

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near West Thumb, Wyoming (United States)

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Trail photos

Itinerary description

We did two circuits a couple of days apart and the pictures are mixed together. The second time we went in very early morning and had the boardwalk to ourselves. The Clepsydia Geyser eruption at that time was far stronger than the previous day. Aside from Old Faithful it was the strongest Geyser eruption we saw. Eruptions happened almost constantly.

The Fountain Paint Pots and Red Spouter are unique features that we didn't see so well developed elsewhere at Yellowstone. The walk is also fascinating because it combines four distinct types of thermal features together in a very small area

Recorded in Early June 2019 using the Free Wyoming State map download from Wikiloc.

Waypoints

Parking

Beside the parking there is off-boardwalk access to the edge of the thermal area, with good views of Clepsydra Geyser from afar. The thermal spring deposits have encroached on a forest in this area.

Celestine Pool

A steamy, low-lying, hot pool with gas bubble emissions, sulfurous smell brings comments from the kids.

Photo ofSilex Spring to Fountain Paint Pot

Silex Spring to Fountain Paint Pot

A classic Yellowstone deep blue spring. The thermal area combines many distinctly different features into a very small area.

Fountain Paint Pots

Described as "a vat of bubbling mud". Heat loving thermophiles consume emitted gasses and help convert them into sulfuric acid. The acid breaks down rock to form clay that mixes with water to make mud. The nature of the mud activity changes with the wet and dry seasons.

Red Spouter

This thermal site first appeared in 1959 after a major earthquake. Before that it was a grassy hillock. Surges of gas eject droplets of mud above the vent.

Clepsydra Geyser 1

The centerpiece attraction of this area. Four or five separate geysers erupt in a small area near the boardwalk. Spray from the eruptions sometimes rains down on the boardwalk.

Clepsydra Geyser 2

We returned on in the early morning of a following day for more pictures, and had the boardwalk to ourselves. The eruptions were far stronger than on the previous day.

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