Fountain Paint Pot Tours
Fountain Paint Pot is one of several mud pots found within Yellowstone National Park that bursts and pops as the mud thickens throughout summer. The surrounding Fountain Paint Pot area is known for its pools of thermophiles (heat-loving bacteria) that gather to form multihued puddles in the earth, as well as mini-geysers and fumaroles.
The Basics
The Fountain Paint Pot area is one of the most accessible part of Yellowstone National Park, and one where you can see all four types of thermal features found in Yellowstone—hot springs, mud pots, geysers, and fumaroles. Most tours of the Yellowstone Lower Loop include a walk along the Fountain Paint Pot boardwalk, as do winter tours to Old Faithful by snowmobile or snowcoach.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The Fountain Paint Pot area is a must-visit for all first-time visitors to the national park.
- Don’t forget to bring sun protection, as there’s not much shade in the Fountain Paint Pot area.
- Plan to spend about 30 minutes touring the volcanic features of the area.
How to Get There
Fountain Paint Pot is accessed via a half-mile (0.80-kilometer) loop boardwalk known as the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail. The easy trail is right next to Grand Loop Road in the Lower Geyser Basin area of the park. Plan to visit early in the morning to enjoy the scenery before the crowds pick up.
When to Get There
Fountain Paint Pot changes with the seasons. It’s at its most fluid and bubbly in the spring as snowmelt provides plenty of water to the pools. By the end of summer and into early autumn, the mud starts to thicken and dry.
Clepsydra Geyser
Not all geysers are as reliable as this one, situated in the Fountain Paint Pot area. In Ancient Greece, a clepsydra was a type of water clock, and Clepsydra Geyser erupts like clockwork every three minutes. After an earthquake in 1959, the geyser now erupts almost continuously, making it a star in Yellowstone’s Lower Geyser Basin.
Address: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
2 Tours and Activities to Experience Fountain Paint Pot
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Private Yellowstone Geology Tour with Wildlife, Hiking, and Geysers and Lunch
This 1/2 day tour focuses on the unique geysers, wildlife, mud pots, hot springs, and other hydrothermal features of Yellowstone National Park. All of our tours are led by an experienced, knowledgeable, and local guide that has an education in biology, ecology, or natural science. We will explore the most thermally active areas of Yellowstone to see erupting geysers, colorful hot springs, bubbling mud pots, search for rare wildlife along the way! We will cap the day with a mild hike to a secluded alpine lake. On this tour we are guaranteed to check off big items and more off of your Yellowstone bucket list such as: The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring which is the largest and most beautiful hot spring in North America, Old Faithful, Fountain Paint Pots, Bison Herds, and rare wildlife.
Along the way your guide will be with you to tell your group about the parks biology, geology, history, and answer all of your questions!
We will stop for a picnic lunch at a scenic location along the way!
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From
$1,029.50
per group
$420.50 savings
From
$1,029.50
per group
$420.50 savings
Full-Day Yellowstone National Park Private Tour by Luxury Car
Ride in style and luxury on your private tour of Yellowstone national park. This is an all inclusive Full day tour. Spend your day relaxing while your guide does the driving for you. During a 12 hour day, comfort is a must. Our Cadillac Escalade ESV platinum is one of the most quiet and state of the art vehicles out there. No yelling to be heard over others or loud road noise. Just sit back, relax and enjoy this luxury tour. We provide all of your necessary needs for the day. We also offer a large 15 passenger Transit with all leather seats that recline and has tons of space for larger groups as well. This is a high roof, new, fully equipped luxury Ford Transit.
Lunches are included on this tour. They are sandwiches on homemade bread, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, potato chips, and a homemade brownie.
Snacks and beverages are also included. Special orders can be accommodated!
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From
$100.00
per group
From
$100.00
per group
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers