Upper Geyser Basin - Yellowstone

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone
In the Old Faithful area, 39 miles (62 km) north of the South Entrance

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, is an area rich in hydrothermal activity. Besides the famous Old Faithful, more than a dozen other geysers can be found along the nearby hillside, along with hot springs and pools.

Cautions: Upper Geyser Basin Yellowstone

• Stay on the boardwalks and walkways. The water can be boiling temperature or higher, what looks like solid ground may be only a thin crust, and going off the trails damages fragile plants and rock formations.
• Don't throw anything into the pools. Even a small object like a coin can choke off the water flow and kill an active formation.
• Pets are not allowed on the boardwalks.

Upper Geyser Basin Yellowstone Sights

Old Faithful is the area's most famous geyser. In fact, it's so popular that the National Park Service built a viewing platform around it to handle the crowds. However, it's not the only one in the area, nor is it the most predictable or the tallest.

Start your exploration from Old Faithful, walking toward Geyser Hill and crossing the Firehole River. You can reach Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin from the road going north toward Madison, or by walking (a 1.2-mile round trip from the trailhead).

If you're interested in seeing a specific geyser erupt, stop by the National Park Service Visitor Center to check the predicted eruption schedule.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, is rich with geysers, hot springs, pools and mudpots. Follow the trail from the northeast side of the Old Faithful viewing area.

Geyser Hill

A short loop walk around Geyser Hill passes six geysers, a pool and a spring. Total distance around the loop is about a half mile.

• Anemone Geyser: Anemone Geyser is a good place to watch an eruption cycle. Every seven to 15 minutes, the empty pool fills up and overflows. Large bubbles rise to the surface, and it erupts, up to ten feet (three meters) high.
• Beehive Geyser: This geyser can lie dormant for a long time, but when it's erupting, it sends water up to 180 feet (55 m) high, rivaling Old Faithful.
• Giantess Geyser: When Giantess is in one of its eruption cycles, when it goes off twice hourly, up to 200 feet (60 m) high.

The trail between Geyser Hill and Biscuit Basin is littered with geysers. They include:

• Castle Geyser: Castle Geyser's large cone rests on older platforms, and is one of the world's largest sinter formations.
• Grand Geyser: If the pool is full at Grand Geyser, hang around and you can see the world's tallest predictable geyser erupt, throwing bursts of water up to 200 feet (60 m) in the air.
• Giant Geyser: Giant Geyser has one of the tallest geyser cones in the world. In the Old Faithful area, geyser cones grow about one inch per century. Can you guess how old Giant Geyser is?
• Riverside Geyser: One of the most picturesque and predictable Yellowstone geysers, Riverside Geyser spouts an arched water column over the river every six hours.

Biscuit Basin

Three miles north of Old Faithful and accessible by driving or walking, Biscuit Basin is named for biscuit-shaped deposits that once surrounded Sapphire Pool. A 1959 eruption destroyed the formations, but Sapphire Pool is still one of the park's most beautiful, its blue a contrast to nearby Mustard Spring.

Black Sand Basin

Black Sand Basin, one mile (1.6 km) north of Old Faithful, can be reached from the road, or by walking from Daisy Geyser. Here you will find Emerald Pool, Daisy Pool and Sunset Lake.

Accessibility: Upper Geyser Basin Yellowstone

The boardwalks and improved trails at Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, are accessible with assistance.