Forget Grand Prismatic Spring — Visit Yellowstone's Famous Hot Spring Before Its Unique Color Is Gone For Good

One of the most iconic hydrothermal destinations in Yellowstone National Park is Grand Prismatic Spring. This vibrant hot spring features practically every color of the rainbow and spans 200 to 330 feet in diameter, making it the largest hot spring in the park. Despite the size, parking here can be difficult during peak hours, and it's far from the only colorful hot spring worth visiting.

If you'd rather avoid the crowds at Grand Prismatic Spring, head to the wooden boardwalks around the Old Faithful geyser. These walking paths showcase many of Yellowstone's hydrothermal features, including the fan-favorite Morning Glory Pool. Several hot springs along the routes display various shades of blue, such as Sapphire Pool and Crested Pool. Morning Glory Pool, however, stands apart. As the spring deepens toward the center, its hues shift from orange and yellow to bright green. It remains one of Yellowstone's most striking thermal features, but decades of human activity have brought adverse effects to its appearance. The spring was once bright blue, similar to the morning glory flower that inspired its name. Today, park interpretive signs refer to it as "Fading Glory," a reference to the gradual loss of its original color.

It may sound like a no-brainer to dispose of trash properly and keep track of your belongings while exploring the outdoors. Still, among the most upsetting mistakes people make in Yellowstone National Park is breaking those exact rules. Over the decades, tourists have thrown coins, trash, food, cigarettes, and other objects into the Morning Glory Pool. Some may have been curious about what the spring's extremely hot temperatures can do to ordinary objects. But as debris piles up, it interferes with the pool's natural water circulation and lowers its temperature. What gives the hot springs their colors are the types of tiny organisms that grow in these extreme environments. The change from blue to Morning Glory Pool's current colors is the result of orange, brown, yellow, and green organisms thriving in cooler waters.

Throwing anything into Yellowstone's hydrothermal features is illegal, and doing so is one of the ways you can get fined by park rangers. Thankfully, visitors seem to be recognizing the error of their ways, and there are fewer instances of littering in the hot springs of this famous national park. Even so, you might want to stop at "Fading Glory" before its colors change even more.