Yellowstone National Park officials are announcing the closure of the Artists Paintpots, effective immediately.
According to a media release, the parking lot, trail, and boardwalks at Artists Paintpots, located south of Norris Junction in the western part of Yellowstone, will be temporarily closed for repairs for up to two weeks.
There is no access to the hydrothermal features and mudpots during the closure. Crews will repair the accessible boardwalk ramp, ensuring visitor safety and access from the parking lot to the trail network.
The Artists Paintpots Trail
This is a one-mile (1.6 km) trail that enters a partially burned lodgepole pine forest, then winds across a wet meadow on a boardwalk. What is so attractive about this trail is the hydrothermal area, which has colorful hot springs, mudpots, and small geysers.
The trail is relatively flat from the parking lot to the hydrothermal features as the trail is over bare ground. There is a mixture of boardwalks and bare ground trails on the lower part of the loop as well as numerous steps and steep grades ascending the back part of the loop to reach the mudpots.
Hydrothermal Features
Hydrothermal features can be grouped into two general categories: those with a great deal of water (hot springs and geysers) and those with limited water (mudpots and fumaroles). This area is known for the mudpots, which put on quite an interesting show of splattering “mud” and a symphony of different sounds.
What Are “Mudpots?”
Mudpots are acidic features with a limited water supply. Some microorganisms use hydrogen sulfide, which rises from deep within the earth, as an energy source. They help convert the gas to sulfuric acid, which breaks down rock to wet clay mud and creates the area’s smell. The pungent odor of rotten eggs is caused by the hydrogen sulfide gas.
Various gases escape through the wet clay mud, causing it to bubble. Mudpot consistency and activity vary with the seasons and precipitation.
Park officials warn visitors to this part of Yellowstone National Park to always stay on boardwalks and designated trails, as hydrothermal water can severely burn skin as temperatures are at or over the boiling point of water.
Park officials remind visitors to “Think safety, act safely. Yellowstone is a dangerous place.”
