Name: Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail
Rating: 4.8

Toolbox

Plan in onX Backcountry

Driving directions
Download GPX File

Know This Trail?

Upload a photo

Dogs No Dogs

Features Hot Spring · Views

Family Friendly Easy and wide with exceptional views.

Description

To get to this trail, you'll need to park at the frequently very crowded parking lot for Fairy Falls Trail (you cannot access the trail from the Grand Prismatic parking area). Follow the wide road-like Fairy Falls Trail for a little over 0.5 miles. You'll see the overlook trail to your left (or just follow the crowds).

The trail climbs a little on a gentle grade before heading to a viewing platform. The platform offers possibly the best view of Grand Prismatic in the park, and there is quite a bit of space here to get your selfies and family photos. Most people turn around and hike back to the parking area, but the trail continues northwest from the viewing platform and down one switchback to rejoin the Fairy Falls Trail.

Contacts

Land Manager: National Park Service - Yellowstone National Park

Shared By:

Karl W

Full Details

Trail Ratings

4.8 from 49 votes

#1

in Old Faithful

#34

Overall

4.8 from 49 votes

5 Star		84%
4 Star		12%
3 Star		4%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Trail Rankings

#1

in Old Faithful

#2

in Wyoming

#34

Overall

20 Views Last Month

3,853 Since Jul 10, 2019

		22%
		46%
		27%
		2%
		2%
		0%

Add a Photo

Photos

Grand Prismatic Hot Spring as seen from Fountain Flats Drive.

Dec 16, 2015 near Yellows…, WY

Sep 9, 2015 near Yellows…, WY

View of Grand Prismatic Spring from Overloop

Aug 1, 2020 near Yellows…, WY

1 Comment

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 87 days ago

Update Conditions See History

Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Jul 29, 2025

Anonymous

Sep 19, 2024

Caitlin Poore

Sep 11, 2024

Gretchen Suthon

Aug 30, 2024

Ethan Schreiber

Jul 12, 2024

Kirsten Antone

0.3mi

Jun 1, 2024

Carlye Pichman

Mar 1, 2024

NATALIE DONIS

Sep 18, 2023

Nicole Mercado Bruno

Sep 11, 2023

Andy Chambers

Was very foggy and unfortunately could not see much

Aug 10, 2023

Paul K

Jul 29, 2023

Jordan Ciaramitaro

Jul 25, 2023

Devin Radel

Jul 21, 2023

Hui Peng

Walked with Qian

Jul 18, 2023

Lauren Kearon

Jul 10, 2023

Karen Tucker

Beautiful overlook 2mi

Jul 9, 2023

Kirk Winkelman

Best view of the springs. Worth the hike to see the whole thing 0.5mi — 11h 00m

Jun 11, 2023

Rachel Swain

Jun 11, 2023

Steve Hall

Jun 1, 2023

Chuck Tracy

had to include a portion of the Fairy Falls Trail.. 2mi

Mar 4, 2023

N T

Oct 2, 2022

Jake Ezell

Sep 19, 2022

Alex Pacheco

Amazing

Sep 9, 2022

Lindsay Galbraith

Very pretty- well worth the trip! It makes Grand Prismatic worth it! — 1h 03m

Sep 8, 2022

Lisa Vidacs

0.3mi

Sep 8, 2022

Lel Giesl

Honeymoon

Sep 3, 2022

Kaylin Courtney

Sep 2, 2022

Molly M

Aug 31, 2022

Jessica Childs

Aug 23, 2022

Lauri Citro

This was an easy trail. A good little hill at the end to observe the spring at a good height. Nice camera shots available

Aug 19, 2022

Lauri Citro

Come back near dusk and do overhead trail

Aug 15, 2022

Su Jin Kim

Aug 4, 2022

Kathleen Yeager

Aug 3, 2022

Donna Mollica

Jul 28, 2022

Zach DeVries

Jul 18, 2022

Marcia Gurgel

Amazing

Jul 14, 2022

Gabrielle Troia

Jul 9, 2022

Junji Uetake

Done

Jul 1, 2022

Nancy Beaulieu

May 31, 2022

Eric Zange

May 29, 2022

Mechelle Frazier

May 17, 2022

Merritt Stanton

First stop. Very foggy so hindered the view & colors. 0.3mi

Oct 19, 2021

Ryan Acuna

22h 00m

Sep 20, 2021

Richard Vogel

Sep 18, 2021

Jay Bauer

Very popular trail 1.8mi — 1h 04m

Sep 16, 2021

John Pennington

Sep 7, 2021

Catherine Mirador Penalba

Aug 30, 2021

Isabella Mahlmann

0.3mi

Aug 28, 2021

Michael Sherman

Done - rainbow haze

Aug 23, 2021

Izzy Mahlmann

Aug 22, 2021

Marlynn Patel

Very easy walk to platform overlook Grand Prismatic. The best view. The most challenging part is to get parking spot at the Fairy Falls parking lot.

Aug 18, 2021

Patrycja Bilello

Aug 11, 2021

Rob Lightfoot

Aug 6, 2021

Mike Scarton

Aug 2, 2021

Isabelle Kuhn

Jul 30, 2021

Sushma Shantharaj

Jul 20, 2021

Chad Hayes

Jul 19, 2021

Raj Mathew

Jul 13, 2021

Krista Mansholt

Jul 11, 2021

Stephanie Chou

Jul 1, 2021

Darla Brewster

Jul 1, 2021

Martin Fielder

Valendez trip — 1h 00m

Jun 30, 2021

Ling Yau

Jun 26, 2021

Marcy Whatley

Jun 25, 2021

Yasmin Palmer

Jun 23, 2021

Richard Webb

The view is unbeatable!

Jun 16, 2021

Nick DeLapp

10h 16m

Jun 4, 2021

Erin Wright

May 17, 2021

Kylie Willis

Hazy but incredible. Excelsior geyser too 0.3mi

May 5, 2021

Ashley Zagari

Sep 25, 2020

Hollie C

Ok 1.6mi — 8h 30m

Sep 16, 2020

Ethan Gingerich

0h 15m

Sep 15, 2020

Audrey Laport

Sep 8, 2020

Caroline Ulczycki

Aug 31, 2020

Brenda Michael

Aug 29, 2020

Monica D

Aug 26, 2020

Alex Thielman

0.3mi — 0h 20m

Aug 25, 2020

Steph H

Aug 20, 2020

Carla Horvat

Aug 11, 2020

Emily M

Aug 1, 2020

Whitney Scott

Jul 26, 2020

Jami Rekar

Jul 19, 2020

Ryan W

Jul 15, 2020

Tuan Pham

Jul 13, 2020

Katie Jajtner

fairy falls trail to overlook. 1.5mi

Jul 13, 2020

Jacob Stuckey

w/ Heather.

Jul 10, 2020

Kathleen Stuby

9h 30m

Jun 29, 2020

Natalie Sobecki

Jun 27, 2020

Osamah Hasan

Took the Fairy take path

Jun 26, 2020

Sydney Urbaniak

Sep 20, 2019

Jessie Thompson

Sep 12, 2019

August Huang

Sep 3, 2019

Meghan McNamara

Aug 28, 2019

Vicki K

Aug 19, 2019

Anna Goodridge

Great view! Pretty crowded 0.3mi — 16h 30m

Aug 13, 2019

Kathy T

Aug 11, 2019

aaron m

view photos

Aug 10, 2019

aaron m

Aug 6, 2019

Artem Abramyan

Aug 5, 2019

Tessa Dall

Jul 26, 2019

Greg Steelhammer

Hike to springs pretty and river rapids scenic 3mi — 10h 00m

Jul 24, 2019

John Tornatore

Jul 23, 2019

Irene Makropoulou

Jul 13, 2019

Josh Cantu

Jul 1, 2019

Karl W

Jul 1, 2019

Sarah Stemper

0.3mi

Jun 25, 2019

Cole Halling

0.3mi

Sep 1, 2018

Jenny Bennett

Aug 29, 2018

Greg Tempel

May 27, 2018

Fan Lin

0.3mi

Jun 15, 2017

Shana Allison

Jun 23, 2015

Chris Darwin

Nearby Recommended Routes

Bison in Biscuit Basin area. with permission from Richard Ryer

Firehole Meadows and Fairy Falls

16.7 mi 27.0 km • 1,371' Up 418.03 m Up • 1,458' Down 444.31 m Down

Yellows…, WY

Lone Star Geyser

5.1 mi 8.2 km • 66' Up 20.15 m Up • 66' Down 20.11 m Down

Old Fai…, WY

National Park Mountain and the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers forming the Madison River.

Purple Mountain

6.8 mi 11.0 km • 1,570' Up 478.47 m Up • 1,570' Down 478.42 m Down

Madison…, WY

West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail

0.8 mi 1.3 km • 41' Up 12.55 m Up • 46' Down 13.87 m Down

West Th…, WY

Mary Mountain-Nez Perce

20.9 mi 33.7 km • 834' Up 254.26 m Up • 1,317' Down 401.52 m Down

Canyon…, WY

At the brink of Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Brink of Lower Falls

0.8 mi 1.2 km • 271' Up 82.64 m Up • 268' Down 81.6 m Down

Canyon…, WY

Your Rating:
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites:	Add To-Do · Your List

Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

“This overlook is one of the parks "must do" trails offering unparalleled views of Grand Prismatic from above. ”

0.3

0.5

Point to Point

7,357' 2,242 m

7,278' 2,218 m

79' 24 m

69' 21 m

9%

11%

Toolbox

Know This Trail?

Dogs No Dogs

Features Hot Spring · Views

Family Friendly Easy and wide with exceptional views.

Description

Contacts

Shared By:

Trail Ratings

#1

#34

#1

#2

#34

Photos

1 Comment

Comment Type:

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Check-Ins

Nearby Recommended Routes

Firehole Meadows and Fairy Falls

Lone Star Geyser

Purple Mountain

West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail

Mary Mountain-Nez Perce

Brink of Lower Falls

Join the Community! It's FREE