Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, United States. It is one of the park's best-known thermal features, and a short stop on many walks through the geyser basins.
What you will see
The spring was once known for its brilliant blue water, the colour that gave it its name in the minds of many visitors. Today the edges of the pool show yellow and orange tones instead. The change is linked to decades of debris left by visitors, which has affected the water temperature and so the colours of the microbial mats that grow around the pool. The contrast is worth a moment of thought: the spring is a reminder of how closely a thermal feature responds to what happens nearby.
Planning your visit
Morning Glory Pool is best approached as part of a wider walk among the thermal features of the park, where boardwalks guide visitors past springs, pools and geysers. Its setting makes it a natural pairing with the other attractions in the same area.
- Stay on the marked boardwalks and trails, which protect both visitors and the fragile thermal ground.
- Do not throw anything into the water. Debris is the very reason the pool's colours have changed.
- Allow time to look at the colours closely, since the bands of yellow and orange are easiest to appreciate up close.
If you are interested in the thermal landscape of Yellowstone, Morning Glory Pool offers a clear and quietly striking example of it, and a good reason to slow down on the boardwalk.