Artists Paintpots Trail

Artists Paintpots is a one-mile loop from a roadside lot to a compact hydrothermal basin, with a forest-and-meadow approach before the close-up boardwalk. Allow about 45–60 minutes. It is a good short stop if you want bubbling mud and hot springs up close, but do not expect a flat stroll: the back of the loop climbs by numerous steps and steep grades to reach the upper mudpots and views. The mile includes walking to the basin, circling the features, and coming back to the lot.

The route begins on a short wooden boardwalk at the parking area, then leaves it for a dirt and gravel trail through partially burned lodgepole pine. After about a third of a mile, the trees give way to a wet meadow. Boardwalk crosses the soft ground and brings you into the thermal area. This approach is the easy part; the boardwalk does not continue through the whole hike.

The lower feature area is relatively flat, mixing bare ground with boardwalk. On the back side, the path climbs to the upper mudpots and a broad view across the basin. There are stairs and a less steep switchback line around the upper slope, so choose the easier grade if the steps are a problem. Reports differ on which direction of the loop puts the stairs uphill, so follow the signed route rather than relying on a left-or-right instruction. Look for Blood Geyser among the named features. The overlook gives you a better read on how the springs, mudpots, and small geysers sit together than you get from the lower boardwalk.

Mudpots are acidic features with little water. In a shallow clay-lined pocket, heat below warms the surface water. Some microorganisms use hydrogen sulfide for energy and help make sulfuric acid, which breaks down rock into clay. Gas then escapes through the wet clay as bubbles, and hydrogen sulfide gives the basin its rotten-egg smell. The colorful hot-spring bands come from heat-loving microbes that thrive at different temperatures. Mud consistency and activity shift with precipitation and season, so the bubbling and color can look different from one visit to the next.

Mudpots can splatter, and hydrothermal water can cause severe burns. Stay on the boardwalk and designated trail, and keep children close. Pets are not allowed on Yellowstone trails, boardwalks, or thermal areas. The trailhead has interpretive displays. The walk from the lot to the hydrothermal features is relatively flat but includes bare ground; the full loop is not step-free because the back climb has numerous steps and steep grades. The small paved lot can fill on busy summer mornings, so leave time for parking.