Midway Geyser Basin is located between Madison and Old Faithful and well worth visiting. One of the epic highlights of Yellowstone National Park Grand Prismatic Spring can be found here along with Excelsior Geyser, and Opal Pool.
Midway Geyser Basin - Yellowstone National Park
A great half-mile boardwalk loop trail from the parking lot guides you past both Excelsior Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring.
This area has not always been known as Midway Geyser Basin in the past it was also called Egeria Spring, Excelsior Geyser Basin, and Hell's Half Acre. In 1871 it was called Half-way Group because it was between Lower and Upper Geyser Basins.
This is one of the most popular thermal features in the park! You will want to be prepared for it to be crowded!
Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring is 370 feet in diameter and more than 121 feet in depth. It is the third-largest hot spring in the world and the largest in the United States
The deep blue pool is surrounded by rings of yellow and orange bacteria that create a prism effect.
If you have seen photos of Yellowstone you can bet that a photo of Grand Prismatic Springs was included.
It is worth noting that the signs on the road say Midway Geyser Basin, not Grand Prismatic Spring so it can be really easy to miss that this epic spot is part of the geyser basin.
Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser erupted on September 14, 1985, to the height of 55 feet and lasted 46 hours. The last known eruption occurred in 1888.
At one time it was the largest geyser on earth. In the 1800s this geyser once exploded 300 feet high. It then remained inactive for 120 years.
The deep blue pool now produces 4,000 gallons of water per minute into the Firehole River. The water flows down several colorful drainage channels into the Firehole River.
Opal Pool
Opal Pool is on the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk right after Grand Prismatic Spring.
This small pool is gorgeous especially in the bright sun.
Turquoise Pool
The final pool along the boardwalk is the Turquoise Pool. One thing to know is when you walk past Turquoise Pool you will need to cross the crowds that are starting the one-way boardwalk.
It can get a bit busy and hectic in this area of the boardwalk.
Travel Tips
If you are visiting during the summer you will want to be prepared to wait to get into the parking lot. It took us over 20 minutes to get into the parking lot during our last trip to the park.
Later in the day, it looked like the line was even longer.
You may have to circle the parking lot a few times to find a parking spot. Grand Prismatic Springs is one of the most photographed spots in the entire park. You can expect a large number of cars and tour buses to be packing the parking area.
Make sure to plan enough time to truly be able to enjoy the area. There are benches for sitting and relaxing to just soak in the view.
At times the steam coming off of Grand Prismatic can completely cloud in the area. You will want to have enough time to come back and view the area again if it is fogged in.
Fun Yellowstone National Park Tours and Activities
4-Hour Morning Kayak on Yellowstone Lake with Lunch- Admire the tree-fringed banks, beaches, and thermal pools of Yellowstone Lake from the water on this morning tour.
After a kayak lesson and time to familiarize yourself with your kayak, set out to explore the West Thumb with your guide. You will paddle for approximately two miles along the West Thumb Geyser Basin as you look for elk and bear along the lakeshore and marvel at the steaming geysers in this incredible area of the park!
Click here to book your tour for the 4-hour Morning Kayak on Yellowstone Lake with Lunch!
Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch - the lush riverside plains of the Lamar Valley are a wildlife watching hotspot within Yellowstone National Park. With this guided hike, you get to explore the natural landscapes as you venture off-road and seek out little-known spots, increasing your chances of seeing wildlife. Look out for buffalo, wolves, eagles, and other animals along the way and watch them from a safe distance in their natural habitat. Tour includes lunch, bear spray, binoculars, trekking pole, backpack(if necessary), coffee and/or tea.
Click here to book your tour for the Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch.
Yellowstone National Park Private Wildlife Tour - Book your private tour with Yellowstone Exposures to ensure a truly unforgettable day with a local expert. Have your day designed and mapped for you by a local professional so that you can utilize it to the fullest.
With snacks, High-quality spotting scopes and binos. Your guide will take photos and video throughout the day. Included a full picnic lunch, snacks, and refreshments.
Click here to book your tour for the Yellowstone National Park Private Wildlife Tour.
Midway Geyser Basin is on the Lower Loop Road approximately 10.5 miles south of Madison on the west side of the road.
Yellowstone National Park Entrance Fee
Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Snowmobile - $30.00 Entry for one driver and one passenger (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass - $20.00 Visitors 16 years or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
$20.00 for Non-Commercial Group (16+ persons)
$20.00 for Commercial Sedan with 1-6 seats and non-commercial groups (16+ persons) ($25.00 plus $20.00 per person)
$125.00 for Commercial Van with 7-15 seats
$200.00 for Commercial Mini-Bus with 16-25 seats
$300.00 for Commercial Motor Coach with 26+ seats
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
Nearby Yellowstone Attractions
Old Faithful - Old Faithful is just down the road from the Midway Geyser Basin.
Firehole Lake Drive - Check out the Great Fountain Geyser, White Dome Geyser, and Firehole Lake on this beautiful scenic drive.
Biscuit Basin - Check out Black Opal Pool and the Jewel Geyser in Biscuit Basin.
Fountain Paint Pot - Explore the Fountain Paint Pot Trail to check out the Celestine Pool, Jet Geyser, Fountain Geyser, and Clepsydra Geyser.
Firehole Canyon Drive - Check out Firehole Falls and Firehole River Swimming Area on this great scenic drive.
Fairy Falls - This gorgeous waterfall hike is the same parking lot of the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail.
Closest Campground
Check out all of the Yellowstone Campgrounds to help plan your time in the park.
For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!
Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York, and Orlando
Closest Yellowstone Lodging
The Old Faithful Inn, Snow Lodge, and Old Faithful Lodge Cabins are the closest lodging options to Midway Geyer Basin,
Additional Yellowstone Resources
Yellowstone Lodging Guide -Check out all of the lodges you can stay in while visiting Yellowstone NP.
Yellowstone Camping Guide - Check out all of the campgrounds available within the park.
Things to do Yellowstone - Check out all of the top things to do in the park.
Yellowstone Facts - Learn more about the unique features in Yellowstone.
Free National Park Days - Check out all of the days the National Park Service waives park entrance fees.
National Parks in Wyoming - Check out all of the parks you can visit while in Wyoming.
Grand Teton Guide - Everything you need to know to plan a great visit to Grand Teton.
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