The Grand Prismatic Spring lies in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, in the United States. It is a hot spring, and the facts describe it as the largest of its kind in America.
What you will see
The spring is known for its color. Rainbow-colored thermophilic bacteria grow in concentric rings around the deep blue center of the pool, so that the water's edges appear in bands of orange, yellow, green and brown. The effect is most striking when the light is clear and the surface is still, and the rings make the spring one of the park's best-known sights.
Planning a visit
- It is an attraction within Yellowstone National Park, so your visit is part of a trip to the park as a whole.
- Expect a walk to view the spring, and bring a camera if you want to capture the rings of color.
- Because the spring is a thermal feature, the water is hot and visitors should keep to the marked paths and stay well back from the edges.
The area around it
The spring sits among the other thermal features of Yellowstone, so a stop here fits naturally into a wider day of exploring the park's geysers, pools and landscapes. Visitors interested in the natural history of the region will find that the spring's colors are a visible result of the microbes that live in its warm water.