Portion of Artists' Paintpots Area Reopens

Date: August 1, 2008
Contact: Al Nash, 307-344-2015

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2008     08-065
Al Nash or Stacy Vallie [phone]

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Portion of Yellowstone’s Artists’ Paintpots Area Reopened

Close-up image       Basin Overview

The western portion of the Artists’ Paintpots Trail will reopen to the public at 7 a.m. Saturday morning, August 2.

In May of this year, a visitor was injured when the surface crust along the edge of the trail unexpectedly gave way and she broke through into a previously undiscovered pool of hot water.   She received burns to her ankle and lower leg.  Since that time, park geologists and other staff members have been evaluating the area.  Boardwalk and trail crews put forth an extensive effort to construct new trails and boardwalks in order to mitigate safety hazards and reopen the area.

Visitors will enjoy the upgrades and increased safety offered by 150 feet of new boardwalk and railed viewing platform adjacent to the large paint pot.  The hillside trail has also been greatly improved with the addition of 100 feet of masonry steps, log railing, and upgraded earthen trail.

The eastern portion of the trail is expected to open later this month after new boardwalk and viewing platforms are completed at the top of the hill, providing a view of newly forming mudpots and overview of the thermal basin below.

While boardwalks and designated trails help protect park visitors and prevent damage to delicate formations, Yellowstone National Park is a dynamic, geologically active place.   Scalding water can lie underneath thin, breakable crusts.  Many geyser eruptions are unpredictable, and thermal features are near or above boiling temperatures.  Four people were treated for thermal burns in the park in 2007.

-www.nps.gov/yell -