Follow This 1.1-Mile Loop Trail In Wyoming To Colorful Geysers

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is filled with spectacular geysers, but not all of them are as colorful as the Artist Paintpots. This collection of more than 50 springs, geysers, vents, and mud pots in the Gibbon Geyser Basin is easily accessible via a 1.1-mile loop trail that's partly boardwalk and partly dirt. The blue, gray, and brown water is framed by vegetation and an oxidized landscape that produces colors such as red, yellow and green, changing during the year. The effect is a unique slice of Yellowstone National Park.

Many visitors express amazement at the stunning variety of colors in the Artist Paintpots area.

The rumbling of the water is not as dependable as Old Faithful or other geysers in the park, occurring more frequently in late May and June.

Steam is a product of the hydrothermal dynamics of the Gibbon Geyser Basin.

The bubbling mud pots can send boiling material as high as 15 feet into the air.

The blue tone of the hot bath is framed by other colors in the surrounding landscape.

All in all, Artist Paintpots Trail offers a good overview of the Gibbon Geyser Basin and its undeniable beauty.

As is the case with most of Yellowstone National Park, the best time to visit the Artist Paintpots is May to November. The geysers generally are most active in late May and June. Naturally, this trail can become crowded during the peak season, so plan to arrive early in the day. For more information about visiting the Gibbon Geyser Basin, see the National Park Service website.