Black Pool
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Black Pool is a hot spring in Wyoming, at a modelled elevation of 2,364 m. Plenty Coups Peak stands 3,330 m to the east, 25 miles off. The nearest named place is King Geyser viewing point, a attraction less than a tenth of a mile away. Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway passes 29 miles off. 53 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Black Pool is a hot spring in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The pool was cool enough up until 1991 for dark orange-brown cyanobacteria to grow throughout the pool. When combined with the blue of the water, the pool appeared to be an exceptionally dark green to almost black, hence the name. An exchange of function took place in 1991, shifting thermal energy to Black Pool and nearby Abyss Pool, causing them to heat up. Black Pool's temperature became hot enough to kill all the cyanobacteria in the pool, turning the pool a rich teal blue color. The pool also had frequent boiling eruptions on August 15, 1991, doming the water to 3 feet and causing heavy runoff. Black Pool remains extremely hot, and is now one of Yellowstone's most vibrant blue pools. The name of the pool remains "Black Pool."
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q4921486, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 28.5 mi off the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
Named places within 25 miles
- Abyss Pool: 0.0 mi
- King Geyser: 0.0 mi
- Blue Funnel Pool: 0.1 mi
- Ephedra Pool: 0.1 mi
- Perforated Pool: 0.1 mi
- Percolating Spring: 0.1 mi
- Thumb Geyser: 0.1 mi
- Ledge Spring: 0.1 mi
- Collapsing Spring: 0.1 mi
- Painted Pools: 0.1 mi
- Corkscrew Hill: 7.8 mi
- Flat Mountain: 8.4 mi
- Factory Hill: 8.7 mi
- Mount Sheridan: 10.7 mi
- Elephant Back Mountain: 12.5 mi
- West Thumb Picnic Area: 0.2 mi
- East Divide Picnic Area: 3.2 mi
- Pumice Point Picnic Area: 4.0 mi
- Hard Road to Travel Picnic Area: 4.4 mi
- Fisherman's Access Picnic Area: 5.3 mi
- Lewis Falls: 10.9 mi
- Kepler Cascades: 11.7 mi
- Mystic Falls: 15.6 mi
- Fairy Falls: 16.4 mi
- Twister Falls: 16.6 mi
- King Geyser viewing point: 0.0 mi
- West Thumb Geyser Basin: 0.1 mi
- Natural Bridge: 9.4 mi
- Kepler Cascades: 11.7 mi
- Old Faithful: 13.0 mi
- Wolf Point: 7.8 mi
- Snipe Point: 8.8 mi
- Rock Point: 9.1 mi
- Sand Point: 9.4 mi
- Gull Point: 10.8 mi
- De Lacy Park: 7.1 mi
- Frank Island Bay South: 10.6 mi
- Frank Island Bay North: 10.7 mi
- Basin Creek: 14.2 mi
- Basin Creek: 14.8 mi
- Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center: 12.9 mi
- Norris Geyser Basin Museum: 22.3 mi
- Museum of the National Park Ranger: 22.9 mi
- Yellowstone National Park: 14.5 mi
- Queen's Laundry Bath House: 17.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Black Pool. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plenty Coups Peak | E 94° | 3,330 m | 24.9 mi |
| Colter Peak | ESE 109° | 3,243 m | 24.2 mi |
| Mount Langford | E 92° | 3,238 m | 22.9 mi |
| Silvertip Peak | ENE 72° | 3,235 m | 24.2 mi |
| First Peoples Mountain | E 91° | 3,217 m | 20.9 mi |
| Avalanche Peak | ENE 77° | 3,182 m | 21.9 mi |
| Hoyt Peak | E 79° | 3,154 m | 22.3 mi |
| Mount Sheridan | SSE 169° | 3,135 m | 10.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:26 | 18:56 | 19:35 |
| June solstice | 05:39 | 20:26 | 21:11 |
| September equinox | 07:10 | 18:43 | 19:22 |
| December solstice | 07:56 | 15:58 | 16:46 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 12 | 14 | 21 | 29 | 38 | 47 | 56 | 54 | 45 | 34 | 22 | 13 |
| Precip in | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Yellowstone Lake, 11 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Nov and Mar; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/1277823360
Day trips start here
- Yellowstone National Park · 14 mi
Take the scenic way to Black Pool.
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