Yellowstone National Park is home to many natural wonders. The Fountain Paint Pot Trail is a great family-friendly trail that takes you on a quick loop to see each type of thermal feature that is found in Yellowstone National Park. You will see geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
How to Get to the Fountain Paint Pot Trail:
The Fountain Paint Pot Trail is located on the West side of the park. It is located about half way down the Grand Loop Road between the start of the road and the Old Faithful area. This is a popular location with a small parking lot so try to get here early or come later when larger groups have left.
What You Will Do on the Fountain Paint Pot Trail:
This hike will take about 30-45 minutes. While the path is all boardwalk there are some pretty steep grades and a few areas with stairs so wheelchairs might not be able to do the whole trail and strollers could be used if you are ok pushing up/down steep grades and possibly lifting the stroller.
On this hike you will see the four types of thermal features found in Yellowstone National Park. There are geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles. There are information plaques throughout the trail that give you more information about what you are seeing at each spot and what the differences are between the different features. When we were there we happened to be at the right place at the right time to see some of the geysers along the trail go off.
Sum Up:
The Fountain Paint Pot Trail is a great family-friendly hike that gives you a lot of interesting things to see. You can see different types of thermal features within close proximity to each other which is really unique. There is good signage that explains what you are seeing. If you’re lucky you could even be there when a geyser erupts! The parking lot is small so get there early or come later when fewer people are there. There are pit toilets located at the trailhead. While the trail is all boardwalk, there are steep grades and possible stairs in one area so wheelchairs might not work very well. Strollers can be used if you’re ok with grades and possibly picking up the stroller to get up/down a few stairs.
