Yellowstone National Park boasts some of the most iconic hydrothermal features in the world. With more than 10,000 features, of which more than 500 are geysers, Yellowstone is home to half of the world’s active geysers and is home to the world’s tallest active geyser.
The Grand Loop is the main road in Yellowstone, and will take you to parking lots for each of these hydrothermal areas.
Make sure to include some or all of these iconic geyser and hydrothermal landmarks in your next trip to the park!
Stop 1: Mammoth Hot Springs
Time to Explore: 30-90 minutes
The Mammoth Hot Springs terraces are distinctive in their white and yellow coloring. The terraces formed over millions of years as hot springs deposited water down a hill of travertine limestone, leaving deposits of calcium carbonate. The feature is still active and growing today.
A network of boardwalks and paved trails allow visitors to explore the terraces. However, there are steep grades and stairs throughout the trail network. The trail from the Lower to Upper Terraces includes steep boardwalks and several hundred stairs. Both the top of Canary Springs and Palette Springs are accessible via wheelchair.
Stop 2: Norris Geyser Basin
Time to Explore: 30-90 minutes
Norris Geyser Basin is home to the tallest geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser, standing at 300-400 ft tall. Because there are frequent disturbances due to seismic activity and water fluctuations, the features change daily. New geysers are frequently born and die in this fluctuating environment, so you never know what your visit will hold.
Several miles of boardwalks wind around the basin to ensure visitor safety while viewing the geysers and thermal features. Norris is split into two sections, Back Basin, which is more forested, and Porcelain Basin, which is barren.
Keep your eye out for bison or elk who sometimes make their way into the basin.
Stop 3: Artists Paintpots
Time to Explore: 30-60 minutes
Located in the Norris area, the Artists Paintpots is one place in the park where you might encounter “flying mud.” While some geysers and hot springs have a lot of water, features with less water become known as mudpots or fumaroles, which splatter mud and make a symphony of different sounds and smells.
The one-mile loop is a mixture of bare ground and boardwalk. It is relatively flat until numerous steps and steep grades take you to the back part of the loop to reach the mudpots.
Various gasses escape the boiling mud, so be prepared for a sulfuric, “rotten eggs” smell when you’re near the mudpots. The level of bubbling activity will vary from day to day. You can also see some geysers and hot springs on the loop.
Stop 4: Lower Geyser Basin
Time to Explore: 30 minutes-2 hours
This is the largest geyser basin in Yellowstone, spanning about 18 square miles. There are a variety of hydrothermal features, widely scattered throughout the basin in small groups.
You can access the basin by the Fountain Paint Pots area, where you can follow a half-mile boardwalk trail to the paint pots, or Firehole Lake Drive, which will take you to Firehole Spring, Great Fountain Geyser, the White Dome Geyser, and the Firehole Lake.
Stop 5: Midway Geyser Basin
Time to Explore: 20-60 minutes
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest in Yellowstone and the third-largest in the world, and it can be found at the Midway Geyser Basin along with Excelsior Geyser and other colorful springs.
A .7-mile boardwalk will take visitors up close to the spring, but for an even better view, take the trail at Fairy Falls Trailhead. At 1.2 miles roundtrip, this trail will take you to a viewpoint looking down at the spring and Midway Geyser Basin to really appreciate the size and coloring.
Stop 6: Upper Geyser Basin
Time to Explore: 1-3 hours
In just one square mile lies at least 150 hydrothermal wonders, making Upper Geyser Basin the most densely concentrated geyser region in the world. Not only that, Upper Geyser Basin also boasts one of the most iconic geysers in the world, Old Faithful.
The basin is divided into a few sections, with five miles of trails winding through. The sections include the Old Faithful area, Geyser Hill, Biscuit Basin and more. You can also become immersed in the science of Yellowstone at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. At the visitor center, you can find the predicted time for the next eruption of Old Faithful and await the wonder!
To learn more about the science behind the hydrothermal features, visit Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal page.
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