Hiking the Artemisia Trail to the Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
The Morning Glory Pool is one of the most beautiful thermal features in all of Yellowstone National Park!
However, in my opinion, most visitors who want to explore the Old Faithful area make the mistake of hiking one way from Old Faithful to the Morning Glory Pool. This typically turns into a hot and exposed return hike on most typical summer days.
This is why, if you want to see the best of the Upper Geyser Basin without having to walk the roughly two miles each way from Old Faithful, I highly recommend checking out the Old Faithful area first. Then, drive up the road north to the Biscuit Basin, where the much shorter trail to the Morning Glory Pool begins.
Biscuit Basin Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Artemisia Trail is located in the same parking lot as Biscuit Basin.
However, since the Artemisia Trail shares the same trailhead as Biscuit Basin, as well as with the trail to Mystic Falls, parking in the small lot for Biscuit Basin can be difficult on any given summer day.
This means that if parking isn’t an option in the small Biscuit Basin parking lot, you may need to park somewhere along Grand Loop Road.
Google Maps Directions: Biscuit Basin Trailhead
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
Like Old Faithful, the Morning Glory Pool is this highlight of the Upper Geyser Basin!
However, as I mentioned earlier, the two are not close to one another; in fact, they’re more than 1.8 miles (2.9 km) apart, making it a 3.6-mile (5.8 km) roundtrip hike.
This is why I recommend starting from the Artemisia Trailhead, which is only 0.9 miles (1.4 km) away from the beautiful Morning Glory Pool!
Artemisia-Power Line Junction
Not long after starting the hike, the Artemisia Trail splits with the Power Line Trail.
Go right to continue to the Morning Glory Pool, which will be the more trafficked of the two trails.
Gem Pool
At about 0.4 miles (0.6 km), the Artemisia Trail passes by the Gem Pool, which in my opinion, is one of the more beautiful pools along the hike.
Artemisia Geyser
After spending a few minutes talking with a group of people who were sitting and waiting for the Artemisia Geyser to erupt, I got to learn a little bit about what to look for if you feel like waiting for the elusive eruption.
First, the know that the Artemisia Geyser is very finicky. Even when all the signs are right, it still may keep you waiting for hours, which the National Park Service says Artemisia averages somewhere around 19-40 hours between eruptions!
Second, look for the water to be flowing out over the side of the geyser, creating a small waterfall.
Finally, and most importantly, your guess is as good as the next person, so be prepared to sit and wait. Artemisia is one of the more unpredictable geysers in Yellowstone.
This small hill is only real elevation change on the entire Artemisia Trail.
Then, when the Artemisia Trail comes to a boardwalk, make a hard right, and you’ll see the Morning Glory Pool shortly ahead.
Morning Glory Pool
For obvious reasons, the Morning Glory Pool is one of the best things to do in Yellowstone!
The pool alone is easily worth the journey through the entire Upper Geyser Basin, but if you’re looking to save some time and avoid the hot summer sun, I highly recommend this much shorter route from the Artemisia Trailhead, as it’s commonly overlooked because of how popular Old Faithful is.
Additionally, if you’re interested in buying my print from the Morning Glory Pool, simply click on the photo below.
My Print - Morning Glory Pool
