Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park hosts the greatest concentration of hot springs anywhere on Earth, making these features one of the most defining elements of the park’s landscape. Hot springs form when groundwater is heated by intense geothermal energy beneath the surface and rises back upward without the pressure conditions needed to create geysers. As this hot water reaches the surface, it carries dissolved minerals and supports heat-loving microorganisms that produce the striking colors seen across Yellowstone’s thermal basins. Together, these springs offer a direct and constantly changing glimpse into the powerful volcanic system beneath the park.

List of Named Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

Hot Spring Basin / Area	Notable Hot Springs
Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful Area)	Morning Glory Pool Doublet Pool Heart Spring Chromatic Pool Blue Star Spring Crested Pool Ear Spring Sponge Spring Belgian Pool
Midway Geyser Basin	Grand Prismatic Spring Excelsior Crater  Turquoise Pool Opal Pool
Lower Geyser Basin	Silex Spring Clepsydra Pool Pink Cone Pool Firehole Hot Springs Great Fountain’s Pool system Imperial Geyser Pool
Norris Geyser Basin	Emerald Spring Green Dragon Spring Crackling Lake Porkchop Geyser Pool
West Thumb Geyser Basin (Yellowstone Lake Shoreline)	Abyss Pool Black Pool Fishing Cone Hot Spring Thumb Paint Pots  Lakeshore Geyser Pools
Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces	Minerva Terrace Canary Spring Palette Spring Cleopatra Terrace Jupiter Terrace White Elephant Back Terrace Orange Spring Mound
Other Notable Hot Springs Around the Park	Sapphire Pool Rainbow Pool  Ojo Caliente Spring Punch Bowl Spring Beryl Spring  Boiling River Hot Springs Lone Star Geyser’s hot spring pool

Quick Reference: Top 10 Must-Visit Hot Springs in Yellowstone

Rank	Hot Spring Name	Location / Basin	Key Highlight	Why It Is Famous
1	Grand Prismatic Spring	Midway Geyser Basin	Largest hot spring in the USA	Iconic rainbow colors created by thermophilic bacteria
2	Morning Glory Pool	Upper Geyser Basin	Deep blue center with color bands	Striking microbial coloration and historical significance
3	Minerva Terrace	Mammoth Hot Springs	Travertine terrace formation	Most photographed terrace at Mammoth
4	Abyss Pool	West Thumb Geyser Basin	Extreme depth and clarity	One of the deepest hot springs in Yellowstone
5	Black Pool	West Thumb Geyser Basin	Color transformation	Changed from dark to deep blue due to temperature shift
6	Sapphire Pool	Biscuit Basin	Gem-like blue water	Exceptional clarity and intense coloration
7	Emerald Spring	Norris Geyser Basin	Green hue	Acidic chemistry and mineral influence
8	Excelsior Crater	Midway Geyser Basin	Massive water discharge	Former geyser turned powerful hot spring
9	Orange Spring Mound	Mammoth Hot Springs	Ancient travertine mound	One of the oldest geothermal features
10	Beryl Spring	Norris Geyser Basin	Near-boiling temperatures	Among the hottest hot springs in the park

Hot Springs in Upper Geyser Basin

The Upper Geyser Basin is widely known for its famous geysers, but it also contains a remarkable collection of hot springs that display extraordinary clarity, color, and chemical complexity. Morning Glory Pool stands out with its deep blue center and surrounding rings of yellow and orange created by thermophilic bacteria. Nearby, Doublet Pool demonstrates how a hot spring can occasionally surge like a geyser, reflecting shared underground plumbing. 

Heart Spring’s distinct shape and calm surface contrast with the intense heat of Crested Pool, which is among the hottest in the basin. Chromatic Pool, Blue Star Spring, and Belgian Pool reveal how minerals and microorganisms organize themselves in delicate patterns along temperature gradients. Ear Spring holds historical significance and has periodically shifted in behavior, while Sponge Spring’s porous mineral edges show how silica slowly accumulates over time. Together, these springs illustrate the diversity of thermal expression within a single geothermal basin.

Hot Springs in Midway Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin, though compact in size, contains some of the most powerful hot springs in Yellowstone. Grand Prismatic Spring dominates the basin with its immense scale and vivid rainbow coloration, created by microbial communities surrounding an intensely hot and clear blue center. This is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the third largest in the world, stretching over 370 feet in diameter. Its deep blue center fades into brilliant bands of green, yellow, and red, creating a spectacle visible even from the air.

Excelsior Crater, once an erupting geyser, now functions as a massive hot spring discharging enormous volumes of heated water into the Firehole River. Turquoise Pool and Opal Pool provide quieter but equally fascinating examples of geothermal activity, their soft blue hues shaped by suspended silica and changing temperatures. The Midway Basin clearly demonstrates how extreme heat flow can produce some of the most iconic hot springs on the planet.

Hot Springs in Lower Geyser Basin

The Lower Geyser Basin presents a wide range of hot springs shaped by variations in water supply and underground pressure. Silex Spring is known for its high temperatures and smooth silica-lined edges, while Clepsydra Pool shows rhythmic surging that hints at nearby geyser activity. Pink Cone Pool rises from a mineral mound whose coloration reflects both heat and microbial life. 

The Firehole Hot Springs area illustrates the interaction between thermal water and river systems, a relationship once used for bathing before conservation measures were introduced. The Great Fountain’s Pool system and Imperial Geyser Pool reveal interconnected geothermal channels where heat and water circulate continuously beneath the surface.

Hot Springs in Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most volatile thermal area in Yellowstone, and its hot springs often reflect extreme chemical conditions. Emerald Spring’s unusual color results from acidic water interacting with minerals and microorganisms. Green Dragon Spring releases steam and gases with audible force, emphasizing the role of volcanic gases in shaping geothermal features. 

Crackling Lake earns its name from the popping sounds created by escaping gases beneath the surface. Porkchop Geyser Pool is a striking example of how a hot spring can evolve into a geyser and later revert, highlighting the constantly shifting nature of Yellowstone’s geothermal systems.

Hot Springs in West Thumb Geyser Basin (Yellowstone Lake Shoreline)

West Thumb Geyser Basin is unique because its hot springs sit along the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake, where geothermal heat meets cold lake water. Abyss Pool is remarkable for its depth and clarity, appearing as a deep blue window into the Earth. Black Pool has changed dramatically over time as temperature shifts altered its microbial life, transforming its color. Fishing Cone Hot Spring is historically famous for its lakeside position, while Thumb Paint Pots show how reduced water supply can turn hot springs into bubbling mud features. The Lakeshore Geyser Pools demonstrate how geothermal activity persists even where water levels fluctuate seasonally.

Hot Springs in Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs, in the northern part of the park, is one of the most unusual hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone. Instead of pools, this region is dominated by travertine terraces, where mineral-rich hot water deposits calcium carbonate as it flows across the landscape. 

Minerva Terrace showcases intricate travertine formations created as mineral-rich water cools and releases calcium carbonate. Canary Spring and Palette Spring display vibrant microbial colors flowing over white terraces. Cleopatra Terrace and Jupiter Terrace reveal older and more expansive travertine structures shaped by shifting water pathways. White Elephant Back Terrace and Orange Spring Mound emphasize the scale and longevity of travertine deposition, showing how Mammoth’s landscape is constantly rebuilt by mineral-rich thermal water.

Other Notable Hot Springs Around the Yellowstone National Park

Beyond the major basins, many individual hot springs contribute to Yellowstone’s geothermal richness. Sapphire Pool and Rainbow Pool display brilliant clarity and subtle color variation. Ojo Caliente Spring holds historical importance and steady thermal flow, while Punch Bowl Spring offers a calmer expression of geothermal heat. Beryl Spring is among the hottest in the park, often surging violently.

Boiling River Hot Springs is well known for the mixing of hot spring water with cold river water, creating a rare opportunity for safe soaking when conditions allow (closed indefinitely to the public). The hot spring pool associated with Lone Star Geyser reflects the same geothermal forces that power the geyser’s eruptions, completing the broader picture of Yellowstone’s interconnected thermal system.