From Yellowstone National Park where starting
Friday you'll be able to drive to Old Faithful
and Canyon from Mammoth and West Yellowstone.
This is that Scott guy you know and love with
a brand new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
What's up, everybody? This week in Yellowstone
National Park from April 16th to April 22nd,
2026, I'll tell you where to go and how to get
there regarding the park's interior, let you
know what to expect when you are visiting the
park's interior. I'm also going to share the
history of an old hotel in the geyser basin and
recommend a scenic trek that I know you're going
to love. I'm also going to give you the complete
weather forecast, the snowpack update, the wildlife
report, and everything else you need to have
an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
Standard disclaimer, I'm going to miss a few
details here and there, I'm trying to make this
short and concise, so if there's something you
need clarification on, reach out to me, happy
to answer those questions. I also mention park
locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
with some place I'm talking about, a quick search
online can help, or again, just reach out to
me. Also know that this report only covers the
drivable areas of the park. Finally, in this
long rambling intro, this podcast is a passion
project of mine. I'm not paid. I'm not sponsored.
I do this because I want you to have a good time
in the park. If you enjoy this, I'd love a review
or a quick email. If you want to support my work,
you can check out my hiking and wildlife watching
guidebooks, or you can join me for a guided hiking
tour in Yellowstone's backcountry. Day hikes
are what I do. I know the backcountry very well,
and I think you're going to love it. The more
you see of Yellowstone, the more you're going
to love Yellowstone. For more information on
all of that visit outdoor -society .com or again
contact me directly. This week's Yellowstone
news, really not a lot. I mean there's a cool
year in review on the USGS Caldera report. Check
that out, Caldera Chronicles, sorry about that.
I'll provide a link in the show notes if I remember.
It's really nice to see it kind of just recaps
everything that happened in the park. the main
news this week is obviously the interior roads
opening from west yellowstone you're going to
be able to drive up to mammoth out to old faithful
and out to Canyon and then from Mammoth you're
gonna drive to West Yellowstone Go through Norris.
You're gonna get out to Canyon. You can go to
Old Faithful So interior park roads are starting
to open up. So that's the biggest news. There's
also some construction news I'm going to talk
about in the road conditions part of this But
it's nothing you need to be too concerned about
there will just be some delays here and there
the other day I was in the park and at the junction
at Roosevelt Junction there there's quite a bit
of construction going on so there's a little
bit of a delay but generally like it's not that
bad they're also going to start that construction
on the Gardner River Bridge but again going to
talk about that slightly more in detail but other
than that main news this week roads are opening
which leads me to my experience of the week going
into the interior what a shock right the roads
are open and i'm telling you to go in uh roads
are going to start to open up April 17th at 8
a .m. That's when everything changes in Yellowstone
National Park for the season. Roads are open
from both West Yellowstone and Gardner, reconnecting
the park through Madison Junction, North Geyser
Basin, and Mammoth Hot Springs. For the first
time since early November, you can once again
drive into the park's interior with your own
car. And that's going to link geothermal basins,
waterfalls, prime wildlife habitat in a single
day. National Park Service says that these spring
openings are entirely dependent on weather and
snowpack, both of which still play a major role
well into April when we get to the weather report.
Yeah, we're gonna get some snow, very quickly.
Coming in from West Yellowstone, the drive starts
quietly along the Madison River. It's a gorgeous
drive, if you've never done it. I highly recommend
doing it. Sunrise, sunset, those are the best
times to get through there. Steam rises in the
distance, wildlife's moving through the open
valleys in the early morning light. The stretch
toward Madison Junction is easily one of the
most scenic drives in the park. Spoiler alert,
nearly every stretch of road is one of the most
scenic drives in the park. There's elk, there's
bison. there's coyotes you might even see a bear
out there and it's not unusual spot bald eagles
ducks sandhill cranes maybe some bluebirds things
like that it's the kind of place that encourages
you to slow down right away just make sure if
you are slowing down if there's bison and stuff
don't stop in the road pull off to a pullout
this is the time of the year where i'm going
to talk about this way too much but always use
the pullouts don't just stop in the road the
longer you stop in the road the worse you're
just making traffic for everybody. Talk about
that much later in the year though. So for Madison,
if you head south, it takes you straight into
Yellowstone's geothermal core. The park contains
more than 10 ,000 hydrothermal features, including
roughly half of the world's geysers. As you move
through the lower, midway, and upper geyser basins,
steam rises through lingering snow, creating
a striking contrast. Now the snow, I wrote this
a while ago, the snow isn't probably going to
be there so it's it's been a year but if there
is snow it's kind of cool the nice thing is the
ground is still pretty saturated in certain places
so the mud pot should be really good right now
all of those things and I'll talk about those
more in the coming weeks by the time you reach
old faithful the experience feels entirely different
from the summer there's fewer people there's
colder air and a quieter atmosphere that makes
it feel far more personal There will be people
coming into the park. You're not going to be
alone there, but it's going to feel very alone,
especially if you're there sunrise or sunset.
If you head north from Madison toward Mammoth,
that offers a completely different landscape.
The road follows a given river through the forest
before opening in small geothermal areas. One
of the best stops is Gibbon Falls. I love stopping
there. That's when the spring runoff is going
to make that waterfall look great. It's an 80
foot cascade waterfall and 80 feet may not sound
like a lot, but it's wide and it's huge and it's
great. Farther along, Norris stands out as one
of the most dynamic places in the park. Norris
is constantly changing and is home to Steamboat
Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world.
Even in April, Know that the boardwalk still
may be icy in the morning, even though like this
winter wasn't that much. There's also going to
be a lot of steam early in the morning, later
in the evening. If it's not a warm day, expect
steam anywhere that there is a small thermal
area, which makes you appreciate just how active
of a geothermal region Yellowstone is to drive
in the spring and see all of these areas of steam
rising up. As you approach Mammoth, the train
opens up and the focus shifts to wildlife and
the mountains. The hills around Mammoth and nearby
Swan Lake Flats are some of the best places to
watch for elk, bison, and even bears emerging
in the early spring. I've had some of my best
bear experiences in Swan Lake Flats, so maybe
it'll happen this year, maybe it won't. And again,
with fewer visitors than in the summer, it's
super easy to find a pullout, and you can just
stop and take it all in. There are a few underrated
moments that define a spring visit. Obviously
the small pullouts along the given river are
fantastic. Walking near sheep eater cliffs is
a personal favorite of mine. Not just to the
little picnic area, but walk downstream and there's
this box canyon. I love that. I highly recommend
it this time of the year. Always have bear spray.
Also, Walking Firehole Canyon Drive before it
opens to vehicles? Super underrated, Jim. Might
talk about that in a hiking section later in
the year, but maybe not, so I'm just going to
recommend it now. Another highlight that is accessible
with these road openings is the Grand Canyon
of the Yellowstone. In April, the canyon feels
completely different. Snow may be lingering along
the rim or down in the canyon itself. And while
some trails like Red Rock Point or the brink
of the lower falls will still be closed, key
viewpoints begin to open. The waterfalls, especially
the lower falls, grow stronger every day with
snowmelt, and it creates a powerful and constantly
changing scene. Also, the lighting there? Midday?
Eh, it's fine. Okay, even in the worst light,
it's amazing. I shouldn't say it's just fine.
But like, early morning light, sunset light in
the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Absolutely
wonderful. Now what makes this time of the year
so compelling is this balance. You have access
to Yellowstone's most iconic features, but without
the intensity of the summer crowds or fully open
amenities. The lack of infrastructure keeps visitation
lower, creating a quieter, more personal experience
of places that are soon going to be packed. At
the same time, conditions still could feel like
late winter. Snow may line the road in places,
temperatures might stay cool, and steam is visible,
like I said, everywhere in the thermal laces.
It's so cool to see. The weather this time of
the year can change quickly, and snow is still
common. National Park always wants you to know
that spring storms can lead to temporary closures
even after the roads open. The roads opening
on April 17th aren't just about access. It's
about timing. It's about the experience. It's
about stepping into Yellowstone right as it opens.
And when wildlife is active, landscapes are shifting
and the park is still holding onto that little
bit of quiet. From West Yellowstone to Mammoth
out to Canyon, this is the moment where everything
starts to come back to life just before the main
rush of the summer season begins. My tip of the
week. Don't expect real spring weather or many
open amenities right now. If you've been paying
attention to the weather across most of the western
United States, you're probably aware of how much
of the region is in drought and how dismal the
snowpack is throughout western states. While
it is true that areas in and around the park
are starting to green up a little, we're still
a ways off from a feeling like spring for visitors
who come out here from elsewhere in the country.
Where you live there may be cherry blossoms and
wildflowers blooming But it isn't gonna be like
that here in Yellowstone for another month or
two Yellowstone will still feel like winter for
many of you for another month or so even in June
even in early July I've seen people that are
cold, but that's you know, that's because they
come from someplace very warm and very humid
It's just important that when you're visiting
Yellowstone, especially right now prepare for
cooler weather Morning temperatures can be in
the 30s and 20s, maybe even the teens, depending
on where you are. Highs may hit the 60s, but
could also hover in the 30s or 40s. We just won't
know what to expect from day in and day out,
so expect a little of everything when you visit.
Prepare for cold weather, and if it's warm, great.
Just layer well and know that the mornings and
evenings are going to be the coolest. I know
it sounds simple and self -explanatory, but trust
me when I say that every single year, visitors
to the park are shocked at the weather in April
and May. So amenity -wise, do not expect much
right now. While the roads are opening up, it's
important to understand that Yellowstone is not
fully up and running yet. This is still very
much the shoulder season, and a lot of the infrastructure
that visitors rely on simply isn't open. Lodges,
campgrounds, restaurants, and general stores
don't really begin opening until May. with some
not coming online until June. Even in popular
areas like Old Faithful and Mammoth, services
can be limited or inconsistent. Fuel is another
thing to think about. While most interior gas
stations inside the park should be open, it's
still a good idea to fill up before entering
from places like West Yellowstone or Gardiner,
just because it's better to have a full tank
of gas when you start out than having to worry
about finding gas. Plus, gas is a little cheaper
outside the park than inside the park. So one
other amenity thing that catches a lot of people
off guard is the lack of open bathrooms. Many
restrooms across the park are still closed or
only just beginning to open for the season, especially
in these less trafficked areas. That means you
really need to plan ahead. And if there's an
open bathroom, use it because you don't know
when the next one may be open. When there is
an updated map or I have updated information
of which restrooms are open I'll let you know
on here as best I can but for now I am going
to provide a link in my show notes that has a
List of opening dates for the entire park, which
should help you plan ahead for some things Just
know that this doesn't include restrooms But
I'm gonna work on that as fast as I can and get
that up online or something This list that I'm
giving can feel a little bare bones and hard
to read, but it's gonna be much better than anything
else. Just know that if you're visiting this
week, it's not summer yet, but the trade -off
is there's fewer crowds and a chance to experience
Yellowstone in a quieter, more self -reliant
way. So be prepared, be self -reliant, and it's
gonna be awesome. My random Yellowstone fact
of the week. The Fountain Hotel. Long before
modern lodges and packed parking lots, one of
the most impressive places to stay in Yellowstone
National Park sat right in the middle of the
geyser basin. The Fountain Hotel wasn't just
a place to sleep. It was an experience, and for
a time, it was one of the most important stops
in the entire park. Built in 1891 by Yellowstone
Park Association, the hotel marked a major shift
in how people visited Yellowstone. Up to that
point, Travel through the park was rugged and
slow, mostly by stagecoach. The Fountain Hotel
changed that by offering something unexpected
in such a remote place. Comfort. It was a large
three -story structure that could accommodate
about 350 guests, and it reportedly cost about
$100 ,000 in the time to build. A significant
investment. Sitting near what is now the Lower
Geyser Basin, not far from today's Fountain Paintpots,
the hotel was surrounded by geothermal features
and wide open views of the Firehole River area.
Getting there was part of the adventure. Visitors
would spend long days traveling by stagecoach
before arriving at the hotel, often dusty and
exhausted. Then suddenly, They were stepping
into a place with electric lights, steam heat,
and even hot water piped in using nearby geothermal
features, something that felt remarkably modern
for the late 1800s. Evenings were a big part
of the experience too. Guests would dress up
for dinner, socialize, and sometimes attend dances,
bringing a level of refinement that more than
likely felt very out of place in such a wild
setting. The location made it even more special.
Before the construction of the famous Old Faithful
Inn in 1904, the Fountain Hotel was considered
one of the best places to stay on the west side
of the park. From here, visitors could easily
explore geysers, hot springs, and mudpots all
within a short distance. It served as a hub for
exploring what we now call the Lower Geyser Basin.
Some aspects of the experience though wouldn't
fly today. One of the most popular nightly activities
was bear feeding. Staff would dump scraps behind
the hotel, attracting bears while guests watched
from nearby. At the time, this was seen as entertainment,
not a safety issue. So it's a reminder of how
different wildlife management used to be, and
when people say, the park has never been worse
than it is today, no, they used to feed bears
for fun. It was way worse. Despite the popularity
of the Fountain Hotel, the spotlight didn't last
very long. The opening of Old Faithful in 1904
shifted attention to the Upper Geyser Basin,
and improvements in road systems made travel
throughout the park more efficient. But the real
turning point came in 1915, when automobiles
were allowed into Yellowstone. That one change
reshaped everything. What used to take days by
stagecoach to go around the park could suddenly
be done in hours. Overnight stops became less
necessary, and places like the Fountain Hotel,
which depended on that slower pace of travel,
quickly lost their importance. By 1916, the hotel
had closed. For about a decade, the building
sat unused, slowly fading into landscape. There
were discussions about salvaging materials, and
eventually in 1927, the structure was torn down
entirely. Today, there's very little left. Just
subtle traces on the landscape for those who
know where to look. You can actually see the
piping where they used to run the water from
the geyser basin to the hotel. The story of the
Fountain Hotel is really a snapshot of a different
era in Yellowstone. It reflects a time when visiting
the park was slower, more deliberate, and centered
as much on the journey as the destination. It
also shows how quickly things can change. In
just a few decades, one of the park's most important
and luxurious hotels went from being a centerpiece
of the Yellowstone experience to disappearing
almost entirely. When you find yourself in the
lower geyser basin today, it's really hard to
picture a grand hotel rising above the steam
and open meadows, but for a brief time in Yellowstone's
history, that's exactly what stood there. Well,
it would be nice to kind of say, oh, if it was
still there, that'd be amazing. I personally
am happy that the park is rewilding and we've
gotten rid of a lot of those things so we can
see the landscape for what the landscape truly
is but it also would be pretty cool to stay in
that hotel so next time you drive through there
look for the little bits of piping you may be
able to see and just know hey there used to be
a hotel here the weather for the coming week
as always this is the best forecast for the week
at the time of the recording Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday should be pretty spot -on from
there who really knows this is a good just ballpark
So let's start with Lamar Valley on Thursday
a high of 32 and a low of 16 with about one inch
of snow in Lamar Friday cloudy high of 32 low
of 12 Saturday high of 44 low of 18 Sunday high
of 55 low of 28 Monday, high of 60, low of 35.
Tuesday, high of 62, low of 34. And then Wednesday,
high of 48, low of 30, and there is a chance
of snow. So that is Lamar Valley. In Gardner,
Montana, Thursday will have a high of 34, a low
of 18, with about two inches of snow. Friday
should be pretty decent, partly cloudy. High
of 37, low of 17. Saturday, high of 49, low of
25 and sunny. Sunday, high of 59, low of 33.
Monday, high of 65, low of 39. Tuesday, 67 and
39 with some rain in the evening. And Wednesday,
high of 53, low of 34 with about a quarter of
an inch of rain expected. Welcome back West Yellowstone
to the weather report. Thursday, high of 30,
low of 11. 78 % chance of 2 inches of snow Friday
high of 33 low of 11 Saturday high of 44 low
of 17 Sunday high of 55 low of 28 Monday high
of 61 low of 35 Tuesday high of 62 low of 33
with some rain in the late afternoon early evening
Maybe a quarter inch and then Wednesday high
of 46 low of 29 could see an inch of snow could
see quarter half inch of rain Finally Cook City
So Thursday high of 31 low of 12 about 2 inches
of snow Friday 28 and 11 with a 35 % chance of
some snow maybe about a half inch Saturday high
of 41 low of 17 Sunday high of 51 low of 31 Monday
high of 56 low of 36 Tuesday, high of 59, low
of 33, with a 50 % chance of some rain developing
in the afternoon and evening. Shouldn't be too
much on Tuesday. But then Wednesday, high of
47, low of 28, 60 % chance of at least an inch
of snow. The snowpack update. As of April 16th,
the snowpack is around 75 % and normal for this
time of year. The eastern and northern ranges
of the park are about 84 % of normal. The western
and southern sides are 64 % of normal. So that's
the worst area of snowpack. Last year on this
date, we were averaging around 97 % of our normal
level. I think this incoming snow will keep us
steady. I don't expect these numbers to rise.
Road conditions. So I have written down, I forgot
to update this, but the roads that are open starting
on Friday. will be from the north entrance all
the way down to old faithful the west entrance
down to old faithful from norris geyser basin
out to canyon and of course the entire northern
range from mammoth to cook city now last i heard
the plug beyond cook city still closed don't
expect that to open anytime soon but if it does
you'll find out by doing the following you can
sign up for road alerts on your cell phone by
texting the number 82190 to 888 -777 or you can
call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information.
Again, roads are starting to open up. You can
go all the way down to Old Faithful as far as
the south goes, and the only entrances you can
drive into from outside the park are West Yellowstone
and Gardner. Yes, you can enter the park from
Cook City, but you have to drive through the
park to get to Cook City to come back out. So
that entrance is Open but it's not staffed or
anything because there's no other way in so We
will update this as much as we can. Oh, yeah,
the other road conditions I knew I was rambling
because I forgot something there will be construction
here and there There's gonna be construction
at the Gardiner River Bridge starting this week
more than likely and at Roosevelt Junction There's
gonna be construction delays there, too There
could be other construction delays here and there,
but I doubt it if I hear of anything I'll update
you next week, but no of those two in the northern
range for sure Camping information so while things
are opening They're still not a lot of camping
options. The only campground that's open in the
park right now is the Mammoth campground and
that's open year -round. Any other campsite isn't
going to be opening up for a couple more weeks
so I'm not going to address that until later
on. The wildlife watching update so this is gonna
be very northern range centric as nobody's really
gone into the interior yet So I don't have any
reports and I haven't been down there either.
I'm going in Friday So I'll have things for next
week, but this week I can tell you what's going
on in the northern range and maybe give you a
few tips of where to go in the interior to see
things but generally like that interior trip
this weekend, it's going to kind of be dumb luck.
If you are headed to the park this weekend and
want to reach out to me like Saturday morning,
feel free and I'll tell you what I saw. But other
than that, again, northern range centric. So
I was in the park the other day and I saw my
first red dogs, baby bison of the year. There
are a couple around. There's going to be more
and more every week. So you're going to probably
see them. Keep an eye out. It's not super easy
to see them, but they will be more prevalent.
Right now for bears and wolves, there are some
grizzlies out in Lamar, there is a couple black
bears in Lamar Canyon and out in Lamar Proper
as well. I saw a black bear way off in the distance
my first bear sighting of the year, so that was
great. There's tons of pronghorn, there's tons
of bison moving around, lots of elk as well.
Saw a ton of elk around mammoth and then a lot
obviously out the north entrance I didn't see
any bighorn sheep out the north entrance, but
I also wasn't looking too hard. It was pretty
early in the morning So generally if you're going
in as soon as you get to Gardner, you're gonna
start seeing lots of wildlife You're gonna see
a lot of wildlife from mammoth up to blacktail
plateau You're gonna see some bison out there.
Then you could see some bears. You may see a
moose you If you drive out, you might see wolves.
If you see people that are stopped, stop and
look. People are really looking and they're seeing
really cool things. So don't just blow by. This
always happens. I was watching a black bear.
I was the only one at a pullout watching it and
multiple cars drove by and looked. They didn't
see what I was looking at. So they kept driving.
Now, maybe they'd seen a bear earlier, but I
doubt it. So if you see somebody stopping and
they're trying to get your attention, stop, because
they're trying to get your attention for a reason.
I know it goes against, like, common thinking
of somebody's waving you down on the side of
a road, stop and see what they're doing, but
in Yellowstone, that's one of the few places
where 99 .99999999 % of the time, everything's
gonna go very, very well. So... do that. If you're
driving in the interior, Swan Lake Flats could
be pretty good. Check out the ponds and see if
there's any swans because they like to hang out
there. There's also going to be a lot of migratory
birds. As you get down toward the geyser area,
there'll be some bison, there'll be some coyotes,
some sandhill cranes, and maybe some bears. Again,
I wish I could tell you more of what you're going
to see down there, but until we get eyes in the
interior of the park, it's all a guessing game.
Don't expect a lot. Between Norris and Canyon
really ever that's not a great spot for wildlife
watching Especially as soon as you get past like
the Virginia Cascades Turnoff, which is closed,
but don't expect a lot there until you get to
Canyon again I don't know what the snowpack look
looks like in Canyon so there could be very active
wildlife out there or it could be too snow -covered
for much of anything, but And I will tell you
next week, other than that, Northern Range Wildlife
Watching, very good. Wolves have been sighted.
Grizzlies have been sighted. It's awesome. It's
a great time. And Baby Bison are out. All right,
changing gears real quick. I've been told that
I'm terrible at hyping up my own products and
businesses and tours and books and all of that.
So. If you like what you hear on this podcast
know that I have guidebooks that have all of
this information and more in it that are very
useful to have. There's a hiking guidebook for
the region and a wildlife watching guidebook
that I wrote out of out of love because I want
other people to have the knowledge that's in
my head and I wrote those before I had the podcast
so everything I felt like saying is in those
books. Also if you are coming to the park and
you want to see the park in a way that very few
do Come on a hiking tour with me. I know the
driving tours. You're gonna see all the wildlife
They kind of don't promise you but they promise
you that they're gonna like get you wolves and
see bears but there is something about Being
out in wild and seeing what you're seeing and
having the day that you're gonna have Just enjoying
the landscape away from the roads away from the
boardwalks away from all other people and just
being out in Yellowstone That is what I do I
love the backcountry of Yellowstone, and I want
more people to see it because Yellowstone really
isn't known as a hiking destination, and as a
person who has hiked all over the West, I am
not tired of hiking in Yellowstone and the greater
Yellowstone ecosystem. I probably never will
be tired of it because there is so much to see
and do. I want to share that passion with you,
so if you're coming to the park, consider picking
up a guidebook or book a tour. I would love to
show you around. Trail alerts and updates. There
are still no official trail alerts. We're waiting
for the park to open up more and full staffing
to occur, and then we'll get better park updates.
If you're gonna go hiking, expect mud here and
there, especially where snow has been lingering.
Also, know that wildlife is out there. Be ready
for wildlife on every single trail, even the
boardwalks. Even the trail I'm gonna recommend
just second the Fairy Falls and Grand Prismatic
Overlook. This time of the year is when grizzlies
are on that trail. People are like, I never see
anything there. A few years ago, a grizzly murdered
an elk on the bridge that you walk across to
get on the old road to get to the Grand Prismatic
Overlook in April. So know that this happens.
Be prepared. Have bear spray. Have it readily
accessible. Know how to use it. Never keep it
buried in your backpack. Always have it on your
person. I will have better trail alerts soon.
So that leads me to my truck of the week, Ferry
Falls and Grand Prismatic Overlook. So with the
roads opening this week, there should be no surprise
that I'm recommending a trail on the park's interior.
While the hikes in the Northern Range are awesome
right now, there's a path for you to wander that
perfectly encapsulates the gorgeousness of the
geyser basins. That trail is of course the Grand
Prismatic Overlook and Ferry Falls Trail. In
previous years, this area would be closed still,
despite the roads being open, due to it being
in a bare management area. A year or two ago,
the park shifted the bear management area away
from here, and now the area is hikeable. Before
I jump into the trail review, please know that
I'm writing and recording this before the roads
open. There is a very, very, very small chance
that the Grand Prismatic Overlook trail will
be closed. But based on the snowpack this year,
and the fact that I saw an interior season employee
posting pictures from the overlook a few days
ago, I'm operating under the assumption that
it's going to be open. Begin by crossing the
Firehole River Bridge and following the historic
Fountain Freight Road, once known as National
Park Avenue, tracing the southern edge of Midway
Geyser Basin. Almost immediately, look to your
right for one of Yellowstone's crown jewels,
Grand Prismatic Spring. Now this enormous hot
spring spans more than 370 feet across and plunges
to a depth of 120 feet, making it the largest
in the US and the second largest worldwide. It's
vivid colors from a deep blue center fading outwards
into fiery orange, red, and lush green steamed
from heat -loving bacteria that thrive in temperatures
as high as 167 degrees Fahrenheit. Early park
visitors described its brilliance as so dazzling
that the eye cannot endure it. Now while you're
walking you're gonna see that steam but you're
not really gonna see Grand Prismatic itself.
Even if you walk the boardwalk, you're not going
to get a full view of it. The boardwalk is gorgeous,
but it's not the overlook, and you really need
to go to the overlook to understand how amazing
Grand Prismatic is. To reach the overlook it's
pretty simple you walk that old road there's
some signs and a hill on the left side to go
up walk up that hill and you're going to be at
the overlook the hill is a little steep and those
not used to the elevation in the park or hiking
may struggle a bit just keep going however i
do have one little bit or one little tip it's
going to be tempting to kind of sneak a peek
off to your right as you're climbing that hill
don't do it Avoid looking at Grand Prismatic
until you're all the way at the top into that
overlook area and then you get to see the whole
thing for the first time from the overlook that
was designed by the park for like maximum awesomeness.
Do that. The view from the overlook is worth
it alone. Like, if you only go up to the overlooking
back, that is fantastic and great. and honestly,
like, it's one of my favorite viewpoints. Another
thing I do recommend doing, I know I'm just kind
of ranting here, is the average visitor, I sat
up here for an hour once and timed people, the
average visitor spends about 35 seconds at the
Grand Prismatic Overlook, turns around and leaves.
Spend longer than that. I can't stress this enough.
It's not enough time to walk up to some place,
look at it for a couple seconds, then turn around
and leave. Really stay there and appreciate it.
look around do you see any animals and trees
do you see you know any birds flying how is the
steam how are the clouds take some time and appreciate
it because you never know when you're going to
get back so once you're done hike down the other
side of the trail and get back on the road and
continue away from where you parked at about
one mile from where you parked or from the trailhead
the trail veers left from the old road and slips
into a forest that tells a dramatic story of
renewal For the next mile or so, you're going
to be walking through the old burn scar from
the 1988 fire that burned a huge amount of the
park. Today, you can hardly tell that something
happened there aside from the uniformity of the
trees, but keep an eye out for the rustles of
animals here. You're going to maybe see... I've
seen a moose here. It's crazy. I know people
have seen bears. So keep an eye out and just
enjoy this section. It's going to be in the woods
and it's great. You're gonna reach the waterfall
about a mile and a half from where you turned
onto this trail, and that is Fairy Falls. Water
from Fairy Creek cascades nearly 200 feet off
the Madison Plateau into a serene pool below.
Named during the 1871 Hayden survey for its graceful
descent, Fairy Falls is a picture -perfect display
of nature's delicate yet powerful force. Just
a half mile from Ferry Falls is a place that
few people go to comparatively when looking at
the overlook or even Ferry Falls, and this is
the Imperial Geyser Basin. To reach the Imperial
Geyser Basin, follow a sometimes swampy, sometimes
muddy trail away from the falls and creek. It
leads to Imperial Geyser. In the 1920s, Imperial
Geyser had 80 -foot eruptions that came from
a hundred foot crater that captivated visitors
and even inspired a naming contest. Although
Imperial Geyser now simmers quietly, its bubbling
overflow still commands attention. The short
walk along the runoff channel leads you to Spray
Geyser, which is a smaller yet consistently active
wonder that shoots up to six feet in the air
through multiple vents. For those feeling adventurous,
wander around it there's also some like mud pots
that are bubbling it's great and for even more
adventure consider hiking up the steep trail
that ascends from the base of imperial geyser
basin and then you have this like bird's eye
view of imperial out to fairy falls and all around
it's a little slick as far as like loose dirt
and rock but it's really worth it now this hike
offers a front -row seat to Yellowstone's dynamic
contrast from boiling colorful springs and steaming
overlooks to fire -forged forests reborn with
life and waterfalls and mud pots and water just
spraying out of the ground and scenic views.
Every twist and turn here reveals another chapter
in this ever -changing natural masterpiece that
we know as Yellowstone. The total distance to
Imperial and back is about seven miles and roughly
400 feet of elevation gain. That's it for this
week in the next episode next week I'll return
with all the information you need to have a good
week in the park that includes the wildlife weather
and trail updates Until then book a tour with
me pick up a guidebook of mine and happy trails
Abrupt ending This week in Yellowstone is brought
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It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love.
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and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
2026, baby!