Midway Geyser Basin - Yellowstone

Background Information

Midway Geyser Basin contains the largest hot spring in North America, the beautiful Grand Prismatic Spring. At one point in history it also boasted the largest hot spring in the world, the now rather tame, Excelsior Geyser whose most violent eruptions occurred in the 1880s and later smaller ones for two days in 1985. Other colorful springs include Turquoise and Indigo springs known for their colors of pale and dark blue as well as the small, pristine springs and mud pots located across the Firehole River from this basin. The Midway group may have the fewest thermal features of the three main geyser basins in the southwest of Yellowstone but some consider them to be the most dramatic and beautiful.

This basin is located close to the highway, around the Firehole River, approximately 11 miles south of Madison Junction and offers boardwalks through the springs.

Some facts about the springs in this basin:

Grand Prismatic Spring - Temperature: 147 to 188 degrees F; 250 x 380 feet

Excelsior Geyser - Temperature: 142 - 160 degrees F; 276 x 320 feet with dramatic overflow discoloration into the Firehole River giving a golden appearance

Turquoise Pool - Temperature: 142 - 160 degrees F; 100 x 110 feet

Chinese Spring - Chinese Spring is named after a Chinese laundry that once operated here. Clothes and soap were dumped in while the owners waited for the laundry to fly out, so to speak. Obviously the practice is illegal today!

Images

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