Artists' Paintpots

The Artists' Paintpots are located in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. They are easily accessible via a short, one-mile loop trail that begins off the Grand Loop Road. The trail takes visitors right into the heart of the geothermal basin.

They earned this name because the bubbling mud features are surrounded by brightly colored mineral deposits that look like an artist's palette. Iron oxides and other minerals dissolved in the thermal water tint the surrounding clay and pools in vivid shades of red, pink, yellow, and brown. The visual effect is akin to splashes of wet paint scattered across the earth.

No, visitors must stay on the designated wooden boardwalks that wind through the Artists' Paintpots area. The ground surrounding these boiling mudpots is incredibly fragile and the water is highly acidic and scalding. The boardwalks provide safe, elevated views of the violent bubbling action without damaging the delicate thermal crust.

The bubbling action is driven by sulfurous gases and steam escaping from Yellowstone's subterranean magma chamber. As these gases rise, they heat groundwater, which then reacts with volcanic rock to create a thick, clay-like mud. The pressure of the escaping gas forces the hot mud to churn, pop, and splatter in distinct, thick bubbles.