Just past pretty Silex Spring, Fountain Paint Pot is a huge bowl of plopping goop that ranks as one of the biggest in the park. The action is sloppiest in spring, with some mud pots drying up by August. The area around the thermal features is slowly being drowned in deposits, while, beyond, a grassy basin supports the park’s largest bison herd.
Fountain Paint Pot
Yellowstone National Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.6 MILES
The imposing Lower and Upper Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are the highlight of the Mammoth region. An hour’s worth of boardwalks wind their way between…
6.01 MILES
While Old Faithful gets the most attention, there's lots to explore in Upper Geyser Basin, which has the densest collection of geysers in Yellowstone. On…
2.21 MILES
At 370ft wide and 121ft deep, Grand Prismatic Spring is the park’s largest and deepest hot spring. It’s also considered by many to be the most beautiful…
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
16.19 MILES
This nonprofit organization offers an alternative for ‘pest’ grizzlies facing extermination and captive-born wolves that can't survive in the wild. Here…
Canyon Visitor Education Center
20.2 MILES
This major center is well worth a visit for its innovative and interactive displays on Yellowstone’s geology. The highlight is a room-sized relief model…
20.1 MILES
Artist Point is probably the most famous of the canyon’s viewpoints, offering a long overview of the Lower Falls and canyon. It was not, as many people…
13.33 MILES
Norris Geyser Basin comprises Porcelain Basin and Back Basin, accessed through two connecting loops. If the world's tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser, isn…
19.84 MILES
Popular Lookout Point, near Canyon Village, offers the best views of the Lower Falls. An adjacent 0.5-mile trail drops 500ft to Red Rock for even closer…
Nearby Yellowstone National Park attractions
1.83 MILES
Just beyond the Fountain Flat Dr parking lot is this pool, which empties into the river. Just south of the bridge is the trail to Sentinel Meadows.
2.21 MILES
At 370ft wide and 121ft deep, Grand Prismatic Spring is the park’s largest and deepest hot spring. It’s also considered by many to be the most beautiful…
4.99 MILES
Two miles north of Black Sand Basin, Biscuit Basin is named for biscuit-like deposits that surrounded stunning Sapphire Pool, but these were destroyed…
5.37 MILES
A steamy favorite that’s well worth the walk, beautiful Morning Glory Pool is named after its flower shape. Unfortunately, the pool is slowly changing…
6.01 MILES
While Old Faithful gets the most attention, there's lots to explore in Upper Geyser Basin, which has the densest collection of geysers in Yellowstone. On…
6.15 MILES
Though it’s neither the tallest nor even the most predictable geyser in the park, Old Faithful is the poster child for Yellowstone and a consistent crowd…
6.22 MILES
Designed by Seattle architect Robert C Reamer and built in 1904, this is the only building in the park that looks as though it actually belongs here. The…
8. Yellowstone Art and Photography Center
6.26 MILES
This historic building was constructed in 1927 as one of the original Haynes photo shops. The Haynes family operated 13 photo shops in Yellowstone and…