Fountain Paint Pot Trail
This short, easy boardwalk loop offers a chance to sample a number of the geothermal features.
Plan Around Fountain Paint Pot Trail
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Fountain Paint Pot Trail Details
This short, easy boardwalk loop offers a chance to sample a number of the geothermal features found in Yellowstone National Park, including fumaroles, geysers, mud pools, and hot pools. The area is very active, and constant changing as more steam vent and fissures appear in the mineral-soaked earth. The trail's namesake, the Fountain Paint Pots, are large red, yellow, and brown mud pots that get their colors from the oxidation of iron in the bubbling mud. Other features include the boiling hot Celestine Pool, the 75-foot Fountain Geyser, and the brilliant blue Silex Spring. A trail guide better highlighting and explaining some of the area's features is available at the trailhead.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
0.5 miles
Estimated time
20 minutes
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Fountain Paint Pot Trail
Compare nearby parks around Fountain Paint Pot Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Fountain Paint Pot Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Fountain Paint Pot Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Red Spouter
This interesting thermal feature becomes a pool of vivaciously bubbling, splashing reddish mud.
0.1 mi away
Jet Geyser
Located very close to a park road and can be seen from a closer distance than most geysers.
0.1 mi away
Morning Geyser
The largest of the Lower Geyser Fountain Group, and one of the largest in the world.
0.2 mi away
Firehole Lake Drive
This two-mile road leads to the Great Fountain Geyser -- a spectacular sight if it's erupting.
