Hiking the Artemisia Trail to the Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
The Artemisia Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a fun and easy day hike that connects Biscuit Basin with the stunning, one-of-a-kind Morning Glory Pool at the far northern end of the Upper Geyser Basin!
This is why the Artemisia Trailhead is often described as the shortcut to the Morning Glory Pool, as the full Upper Geyser Basin Trail from Old Faithful can be quite a long day hike and involve a lot of time spent in the sun!
All that aside, the Morning Glory Pool is, without a doubt, one of the best and most beautiful thermal features in all of Yellowstone National Park, which is why I like to say: whether you get there from the Artemisia Trail, the Upper Geyser Basin Trail, the Daisy Trailhead, or from Old Faithful, don’t miss this beautiful hidden gem, as it’s easily one of the best things to see and do in Yellowstone National Park!
My Print - Morning Glory Pool
Artemisia Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Artemisia Trail is located in one of two places.
First, visitors can park at Biscuit Basin, the same parking area that serves the short boardwalk loop through Biscuit Basin, or there is the option to park directly alongside Grand Loop Road near the trailhead
Personally, I prefer to park at the Artemisia Trailhead because it is a lot less competitive than the small parking lot in Biscuit Basin.
Google Maps Directions: Artemisia Trailhead / Artemisia Trailhead (Biscuit Basin)
Hiking Checklist - Yellowstone–Tetons
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Yellowstone–Teton area.
Hiking the Artemisia Trail
The Artemisia Trail begins on the east side of the crosswalk that connects Biscuit Basin and the Artemisia Trailhead.
This is why parking at either Biscuit Basin or alongside Grand Loop Road is just as easy as the other, though I prefer parking along the roadside since it is less competitive.
Artemisia-Power Line Junction
After just over 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Artemisia Trail comes to the one and only junction on the entire hike, the Power Line Trail, which connects the Upper Geyser Basin to Fairy Falls and the Grand Prismatic Overlook.
Once here, go right at this split to continue hiking the Artemisia Trail toward the Morning Glory Pool, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) from this point.
This is where the Artemisia Trail passes the Cauliflower Geyser and the Mirror Pool on the right-hand side.
Between the Power Line junction and the Morning Glory Pool, the Artemisia Trail follows a mostly flat and easy path, as there is but two small hills on the entire hike.
On a different note, however, I highly recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt on the Artemisia Trail because, after the mid-morning hours, there is quite a bit of exposure throughout much of the day.
Gem Pool
After about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) since the trailhead off Grand Loop Road, the Artemisia Trail passes Gem Pool, followed by Artemisia Geyser just around the corner.
Artemisia Geyser
The word Artemisia refers to a large group of aromatic plants, which is exactly how Artemisia Geyser got its name.
By this, I mean that according to the National Park Service, the geyser is named after the color of its geyserite deposits, which are similar in appearance to Sagebrush.
How to See the Artemisia Geyser Erupt?
The National Park Service reports that the Artemisia Geyser erupts somewhere every 19–40 hours.
That said, the most notable sign visitors should look for, which might indicate an impending eruption, is that water should be flowing out over the sides of the geyser, creating a small waterfall.
However, just because this is happening doesn’t mean that an eruption is about to occur any minute. It still may take hours!
This is why the Artemisia Geyser is one of the most unpredictable 'predictable' geysers in Yellowstone, and it’s important to come with the intention of staying a while if you want to see the elusive eruption.
This small hill and the one that immediately follows are the only notable places with elevation change on the entire hike.
This is as steep as the Artemisia Trail ever gets.
At the bottom of the hill, there is just 0.2 miles (0.3 km) remaining until the Artemisia Trail reaches Morning Glory Pool!
Artemisia-Upper Geyser Basin Junction
This is the end of the Artemisia Trail, roughly 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the trailhead off Grand Loop Road.
That said, make a hard right turn on the boardwalk, and the Morning Glory Pool will be found just a few steps ahead!
Read My Separate Post: Upper Geyser Basin Trail
Morning Glory Pool
The end of the boardwalk is the Morning Glory Pool, which, for obvious reasons, is one of the highlights of all the thermal features in the Upper Geyser Basin and easily one of the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park!
According to the National Park Service, the Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring, not a geyser, and has an average water temperature of about 159.3 °F (70.7 °C).
How to Take Good Photos at the Morning Glory Pool?
If you want to try and take good photos at the Morning Glory Pool, there are two things to think about: the first is the time of day, and the second is the type of lens.
What I mean is that good photos at the Morning Glory Pool are incredibly tricky to capture because it’s very hard to get the entire pool in one shot without the boardwalk in your photo.
This is because the boardwalk is simply too close, and the pool is simply too big for most point-and-shoot cameras to capture it all in one shot—not to mention, the best angle has the boardwalk in the background.
If you are using a professional camera, a 16mm lens, or preferably wider, is needed at the very least. If you are using a phone, a wide-angle lens, such as the one on the iPhone, is best.
As for the time of day, the best photos of the Morning Glory Pool are captured in the morning before solar noon—the time when the sun is highest in the sky. The trick is to visit mid-morning, after the shadows are no longer covering any part of the pool but before solar noon, as the sun descends directly behind the pool from the best angle that most photos are commonly taken.
Old Faithful (Upper–Lower Geyser Basins)
Canyon Village
Maddison–Norris
Yellowstone Lake & East Entrance
Mammoth, Lamar Valley & Tower
