We reserved one of Yellowstone's most iconic sights for our final day in the park, the breathtakingly vibrant Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in North America.
Arriving early, we hoped to stroll along the boardwalk encircling the spring before the crowds arrived. We did manage to get a car park & bat the crowds, however, the cool, still air combined with the rising steam from both Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser, blanketing the basin in a dense mist that veiled the spring's brilliant colors.
The outlet cascades from Excelcior Geyser were very dramatic with clouds of steam billowing off them.
We did a lap of the boardwalk, but couldn't understand why it was even there. It was just a steaming lake.
Having anticipated the mist, we had already planned a hike to Fairy Falls. Kerri decided to sit this one out, while we followed the pleasant 4 km trail that winds behind the Basin area. The delicate waterfall gracefully plunges 61m down an amphitheater, ending in a tranquil, shallow pool below.
On the return leg from Fairy Falls, we took a short detour up the hillside to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook, where we reunited with Kerri. By the time we arrived, the morning mist had lifted, revealing the spring's full brilliance. The vivid colour gradients we'd seen in smaller pools throughout the park were now displayed on a grand scale. Viewing Grand Prismatic from this elevated vantage point is far more impressive than at ground level, no matter the conditions.
