Thermal features of the Midway Geyser Basin
Take a virtual walkthrough of the Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, while learning a little bit about each of the main features. Photos are all my own, and information was gathered from various sources.
Excelsior Geyser (Crater)
Although this once was an active geyser, it is now considered a crater left over from destructive eruptions. Eruptions in the late 1800s went up to 300 feet in the air. It also erupted, in a smaller fashion, for two days in 1985. The most striking thing about this feature is its size and deep blue boiling water.
Downstream from this feature, you’ll see its runoff flowing in to the Firehole River. This is what you first see walking across the footbridge. The near boiling runoff heat creates bright orange bacteria just before it hits the river.
Excelsior Geyser is able to discharge 4500 gallons of water each minute, flowing in to the Firehole River.
The boardwalk wraps around half of the crater, allowing you to see the deep blue water from many angles. You can’t help but imagine what would happen if it began erupting again!
Grand Prismatic Spring
The largest hot spring in Yellowstone, and the third largest in the world, Grand Prismatic Spring is easily among the most striking features in the park. Although it is larger than the Excelsior Geyser Crater, it discharges only 500-600 gallons per minute.
The views of Grand Prismatic from above, below, and up close are vastly different. There’s always something interesting to look at.
This view of Grand Prismatic Spring and the entire Midway Geyser Basin is accessible by an unofficial trail on the way to Fairy Falls.
Opal Pool
Although named as a pool, Opal is an unpredictable geyser. Heights of these violent eruptions can reach 30-70 feet, throwing debris around the pool, as you can see in the photo below. I believe even this past summer, Opal had a day of eruptions, and then the pool drained completely before filling back up.
Turquoise Pool
Turquoise Pool is the last feature you’ll see on the loop around the Midway Geyser Basin. It has a temperature between 140 and 160 °F and was named by members of the Hayden Expedition of 1878. Minerals in the water give Turquoise Pool an opaque, milky color.
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