Top hot springs
Grand Prismatic Spring
Old Faithful
Castle Geyser
Beehive Geyser
Hot SpringMorning Glory Pool
Aurum Geyser
Daisy Geyser
Clepsydra Geyser
Artemisia Geyser
Comet Geyser
Doublet Pool
Beauty Pool
Brilliant Pool
Grand Geyser
Giant Geyser
Opal Pool
Giantess Geyser
Excelsior Geyser Crater
Granite Hot Springs, Wyoming
Hot SpringWhite Dome Geyser
Riverside Geyser
Great Fountain Geyser
Lion Geyser
Grotto Geyser
Map
How to photograph hot springs
Steam is most visible on cold mornings; backlight from a low sun makes rising steam glow.
- Keep to boardwalks and marked paths — crusts around thermal features can be thin and the water dangerously hot.
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- Respect bathers' privacy: ask before including people at soaking pools.
- Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
- Condensation forms quickly on lenses; let gear acclimate and carry a cloth.
Season: Winter gives the most dramatic steam; some primitive springs are only accessible in summer.