Mud Volcano Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a fascinating geothermal area with some of the park’s most unique thermal features.
Mud Volcano is a mud geyser, meaning hot water and gases rise to the surface, mixing with soil and sediment, to create bubbling pools of mud. They are different from traditional geysers that shoot clear water from underground.
Mud Volcano Trail Basics
Under 1 Hour
0.8 Miles Round Trip
Loop
118 Feet
Duration: Under 1 Hour
Walking the length of the Mud Volcano Trail, including the larger loop, takes about 45 minutes to one hour to complete.
Distance: 0.8 Miles Roundtrip
The entire loop is just under one mile long. If you only do the accessible lower section, you’ll walk a short distance of about 0.2 miles.
Type: Loop Trail
There are two loops that connect on this trail. The lower loop is handicap-accessible and takes you to a few of the mud pots and features. The full loop takes you on an elevated boardwalk past all of the thermal features.
Elevation Change: 118 Feet
Throughout the trail, the boardwalk elevates and descends a few times. Once you pass Mud Volcano, going to the right will take you to the full path which does include some steps.
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Due to the threat of snow and road closures, the best time of year to visit Mud Volcano is from late May through early October.
Time of Day: Any
Mud Volcano Trail is accessible any time of the day but is best before 9 AM or after 4 PM to avoid the crowds.
Amount of Shade: None
There is no shade along this trail. The few trees in the area have been covered with muddy water that spews from the mud geysers.
Difficulty: Easy
Mud Volcano Trail is an easy trail in Yellowstone National Park that takes you to some of the unique thermal features.
What Makes Mud Volcano Trail a Great Hike?
Even though the trail is called Mud Volcano Trail, it goes through an area with a series of geothermal features in addition to Mud Volcano. Yet again, this was something Ryan read about in his Junior Ranger book and told us he wanted to visit. A “mud volcano” just sounds cool to a little boy. Ok, it sounded cool to the adults, too!
There are two sections of the trail, with the lower part taking you to the Dragon’s Mouth Hot Springs and the Mud Volcano. From there, you can turn left at the junction and loop back to the parking lot, making this a walk of only about a quarter of a mile and fully handicap accessible. Otherwise, go to the right and continue walking the other half mile to see all of the hydrothermal features in the Mud Volcano Area.
Scenery on the Mud Volcano Trail
Start of the Trail
The trail starts on an elevated boardwalk that goes between some hot springs towards the large trees on the surrounding mountains. As you start the path, you can see steam rising from Dragon’s Breath Spring. Mud Volcano is your second stop, which will be on the right if you are walking counterclockwise. It looks like a big puddle of boiling mud, which has been compared to a witch’s cauldron.
On the Trail
While walking along the trail, keep an eye out for wild animals that frequent the thermal area such as bison, elk, and grizzly bears. Continue along the boardwalk to pass all of the features, with a short spur trail to Black Dragon’s Cauldron.
End of the Trail
End the trail by completing the loop around all of the geothermal and hydrothermal features of the Mud Caldron area. You will end up at the south end of the parking lot.
Notable Places on the Hike
There are a lot of fun features to check out along the trail:
- Dragon’s Mouth Spring
- Mud Volcano
- Sour Lake
- Mud Caldron
- Grizzly Fumarole
- Churning Caldron
- Black Dragon’s Caldron
- Sizzling Basin
- Cooking Hillside
Mud Volcano Trailhead Information
Finding the Trailhead
Once you park, there are a few trailheads in the parking area. The best way to start is at the northern end of the parking lot to go to Dragon's Mouth Spring and Mud Volcano first, then choose whether to go back to the parking lot or continue.
Markers Along the Trail
The National Park Service has done a great job of providing educational information about this area on interpretive signs along the trail.
Nearest Restrooms
There are a few vault toilets in the parking area for the Mud Volcano trailhead.
Parking Area
The parking area for the Mud Volcano Trail is on the east side of Grand Loop Road, across the street from the Yellowstone River. It is about 10 miles south of Canyon Village or about 6 miles north of Fishing Bridge.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
There are no other trails accessible from this parking area.
Tips for Mud Volcano Trail
- The area smells like a rotten egg! The mudpots are acidic with a limited water supply. microorganisms convert the hydrogen sulfide gas to sulfuric acid which breaks down the rock to wet clay and creates the smell in the area.
- Make sure to check out other features in the immediate area, such as Sulphur Cauldron.
- The area is called a resurgent dome area meaning the ground is still in fluctuation based on the magma chambers below.
Accessibility Information for Mud Volcano Trail
Boardwalk
Paved
Trail Type: Boardwalk
The first portion of the trail is accessible for those in wheelchairs, strollers, and with mobility issues. You can take the path to see Dragon’s Breath Spring and Mud Volcano before turning back towards the parking lot. The boardwalk has a series of steps after Mud Volcano on the way to Grizzly Fumarole.
Parking: Paved
Mud Volcano Trailhead Parking is a paved parking lot with multiple handicap-accessible parking spots.