Geyser Basins & Thermal Features
The Midway Geyser Basin is an easy half mile boardwalk that takes you up close to some of Yellowstones biggest and most impressive thermal features. Excelsior Geyser is the first thermal feature you will come to. The beautiful blue and green water of Excelsior Geyser sits inside a 200 x 300 foot crater. This crater was formed by the large violent erruptions that Excelsior would put off, cracking and breaking off chunks of rock around it. Although Excelsior Geyser is dormant now, in its active years, erruptions would shoot water anywhere from 50 - 300 feet into the air.
At Midway Geyser Basin, you will also see Grand Prismatic Spring which is Yellowstone's largest hot spring, and the 3rd largest hot spring in the world, measuring approximately 200 ft. x 330 ft. and over 120 feet deep. The warmer the air temperature, the easier it is to see all of the colors in this impressively beautiful hot spring because the rising steam is not as prominent. The best view of Grand Prismatic Spring is seen from the top of a hill on the Fairy Falls trail. |
