A new thermal steam vent is grabbing attention in ever-changing Yellowstone National Park

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A new thermal vent spewing steam in the air at Yellowstone National Park is gaining attention, mainly because it's visible from a road rather than any significant change in the park famous for its thousands of geysers, hot springs and bubbling mud pots.

When Yellowstone's roads open to car traffic in April, tourists will be able to view the new steam column from a pullout as long as the vent remains active. It's located in an area about a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the Norris Geyser Basin.

The thermal feature was first spotted by scientists last summer and inspired them to trudge across a marsh and measure 171-degree (77-degree Celsius) steam venting from the base of a wooded hill. A thin coat of gray mud confirmed the vent was new, according to a recent online post by scientists with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory overseen by the U.S. Geological Survey.