Red Spouter

As you stand here, imagine traveling back in time to August 17, 1959. You would find yourself on a grassy knoll. Red Spouter did not exist!

Shortly before midnight, a major earthquake rocked Hebgen Lake, Montana, approximately 25 miles northwest of here. Jolts rippled through Yellowstone. In the aftermath, Red Spouter was born.

The ‘59 Quake...

• Measured magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale.

• Was the most powerful to strike the area in recorded history.

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Some Like It Hot!

Even seething hot springs support life. Heat-loving microorganisms called “thermophiles” thrive in Red Spouter. They live on gases like hydrogen sulfide, the cause of the rotten-egg odor you likely smell here.

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Still Changing After All These Years

Hot Spring

Soaked by snowmelt, Red Spouter splashes muddy water in spring.

Mudpot

In late summer, the pool is drier. It spits and splatters thick mud.

Fumarole

Nearly dry by fall, Red Spouter becomes a steam vent.

This exhibit made possible by a generous grant from the Yellowstone Park Foundation

Marker can be reached from Grand Loop Road (U.S. 89) near Firehole lake Drive, on the right when traveling south.

Courtesy hmdb.org

Credits and Sources: