Beauty Pool

Overview

Beauty Pool is a hot spring on the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk near Old Faithful. Its blue‑green center and orange margins change with temperature and water level, and it’s famously paired underground with nearby Chromatic Pool—when one rises, the other often falls. Since the early 2000s it has cooled somewhat, letting orange thermophiles flourish along the edges.

Geology & Color

Like other Yellowstone hot springs, Beauty Pool is fed by rain and snowmelt that percolate down, heat up over a magma-driven system, and rise through natural fractures. Hot springs have open “plumbing,” so water circulates rather than erupts. Here, neutral‑chloride waters and heat-loving microbes create the turquoise center and colorful microbial mats around the rim. Typical measurements reported for the pool are around 135.6°F (57.5°C), pH ~8.8, and conductivity near 2042 µS/cm.

What to Expect

You’ll view Beauty Pool from sturdy boardwalks on a flat, short walk from the Old Faithful complex. There are no restrooms, water, or picnic facilities at the pool itself; plan to use the services in the Old Faithful village before you head out. Expect roughly 1–2 miles round trip depending on your route and other stops. No pets on boardwalks, and no eating on thermal boardwalks—pack out all trash.

Photography

Colors often pop under bright light and when the water is hottest. A circular polarizing filter helps cut surface glare and reveal details in the water. The adjacent Chromatic Pool makes an easy add-on for varied compositions and to notice the two pools’ inversely shifting water levels.

Safety & Wildlife

Thermal areas can cause severe burns—stay on boardwalks and designated paths, supervise children closely, and never touch or disturb the fragile microbial mats. For wildlife anywhere in the basin, keep your distance (use your zoom, not your feet) and never block traffic; use pullouts when stopping.

Best Time to Visit

Arrive early or later in the day to avoid the midday parking crunch and boardwalk crowds around Old Faithful. Midday light can be best for saturated pool colors. Many services in the Old Faithful area run roughly early May to mid‑October; in shoulder seasons, plan bathroom stops in the village and don’t rely on smaller basin toilets being open.