This gorgeous natural feature in Wyoming looks more like a melted gemstone than a simple pool of water.
Abyss Pool in Yellowstone National Park may not get as much press as its cousin Old Faithful, but it’s one of the park’s most dazzling treasures. Read on to learn more about visiting this unique spot.
In 1883, a park visitors described this pool as “a great, pure, sparkling sapphire rippling with heat.” And that’s pretty spot-on.
Flickr/Wilson Loo Kock Wee
Abyss Pool is a hot spring in the West Thumb Geyser Basin. It’s about 53 feet deep and filled with clear, beautiful water.
Flickr/J Klinger
It gets its distinctive hue from a combination of algae, minerals and the depth of its waters.
Tripadvisor/Eaglet64
The color of the water can vary based on the light and time of year, but it’s always stunning.
Google/Jinwoo Nam
You wouldn’t know it now, but Abyss Pool was once an active geyser. Between December 1991 and June 1992, it exploded several times day with plumes of hot water that reached 30-80 feet in the air.
Tripadvisor/Eaglet64
Today, Abyss Pool is back to its non-eruptive state. The waters here are still between 100 and 200 degrees however, so swimming is definitely a no.
Wikimedia Commons/DXR
This unique spot is totally worth checking out for its crazy colors and otherworldly beauty.
Flickr/James St. John
To check this place out for yourself, head to Yellowstone National Park’s West Thumb Geyser Basin. To learn more about visiting this area, click here.
Flickr/Wilson Loo Kock Wee
Flickr/J Klinger
Tripadvisor/Eaglet64
Google/Jinwoo Nam
Wikimedia Commons/DXR
Flickr/James St. John
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