Morning Glory Pool

The Morning Glory Pool is only 1.4 miles from the Old Faithful Visitors Center by way of a partial boardwalk partial paved path. Along the way you will pass many of Yellowstone's notable geysers like Grotto Geyser and Castle Geyser. Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring and was named in the 1880's for its sapphire color which was similar to the color of the morning glory flower. Since the time the pool was named, the pool has been polluted by visitors who littered rocks, coins, and other objects into the pool. Some seemed to think it was a natural version of a wishing well. Each of these objects have took part in blocking the path of the vent which gives the pool its heat. The lack of direct heat from the vent dropped its temperature from nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit (100 Celsius) at the surface to a colder 140-120 degrees (65-50 Celsius). This drop changed kinds of bacteria living near the surface from Archaea which grows only in water 170 degrees Fahrenheit (75 Celsius) or more to others. The colder bacteria comes in many different colors like: Cyanobacteria (163 F or 73 C) yellow Fungi and Algae (140 F or 60 C) yellow/green Protozoa (133 F 66 C) Orange Mosses (122 F or 50 C) Brown.