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This summer, construction crews will be replacing trails within the vicinity of Midway Geyser Basin.
Starting in early June, trail crews will start constructing a new trail and overlook on the hills south of Grand Prismatic Spring. This official trail will replace many existing social trails.
This will be the first of a two-year trail construction project. Once finished, visitors will be able to get a more complete view of Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser Basin, along with the rest of Midway.
Visitors will be prohibited from visiting the following locations while construction is ongoing, according to a Yellowstone press release:
• The hills immediately south of Grand Prismatic Spring.
• The Fairy Falls Trailhead and parking lot (located one mile south of Midway Geyser Basin)
• The Fountain Freight Road between the parking lot and the Fairy Falls Trail Junction.
The release also provided a map of the closures, which you can view here.
In addition, according to officials, the area east of the Grand Loop Road around Midway Bluff has been permanently closed to public access, due to resource damage from visitor use.
Visitors will still be able to visit Midway Geyser Basin without needing a detour. Hikers can still access Fairy Falls by using the Fountain Freight Road Trailhead. Note: hiking to Fairy Falls from Fountain Freight Road Trailhead is 8.8 miles roundtrip; it’s five miles from the Fairy Falls Trailhead.
In addition, cyclists will still be able to ride from the Fountain Freight Road Trailhead as far as Fairy Falls Trail Junction (six miles roundtrip). Cyclists will be unable to bike on the Fairy Falls Trail.
During the winter season, skiers will be able to take Fountain Freight Road to visit the Fairy Falls area.
Currently, the Fountain Freight and Fairy Falls trails are closed until May 28, owing to bear management restrictions.
