Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin - Yellowstone National Park
Morning Glory Pool in Upper Geyser Basin
This week marks the 150th anniversary of the world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park, and I can’t think of a better place to celebrate our original National Park’s birthday than with a visit to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin. Join me and let’s discover this beautiful place together.
Old Faithful steaming in the morning
History
Members of the Washburn Expedition of 1870 are credited with the first recorded visit to this area, however the land was long revered by Native Americans and a total of 26 tribes have ancestral connections to Yellowstone. On March 1st 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law, and soon after the development of trails and surrounding services began here. The area has continued to thrive and draw visitors for 150 years, and the Old Faithful Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Old Faithful erupting near the Old Faithful Inn
Location
Just off Highway 191 on the southwest corner of the Grand Loop, Upper Geyser Basin Trail is a network of gentle paved paths and boardwalks. The trail begins at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center and it is widely considered the best trail for viewing hydrothermal features in the park, as this basin is home the highest concentration of geysers in the entire world. Upper Geyser Basin Trail can be hiked mid-April through mid-November when roads are open to traffic. The trail is also accessible by snow coach during much of the Winter. The Upper Geyser Basin Trail is an option for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, but if you are interested in exploring during extreme Winter conditions, make sure to educate yourself on travel in avalanche terrain.
Old Faithful viewing area in Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful steaming in front of a sunrise
Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park is home to over 10,000 hydrothermal features. Upper Geyser Basin is the park’s largest geyser basin and it contains over 200 geysers, as well as the world’s largest single concentration of hot springs…but the most famous feature here has always been the Old Faithful Geyser. The name is certainly well suited, as Old Faithful erupts on average nearly 20 times a day, shooting anywhere from 100 to 185 feet in the air for 1 to 5 minutes. While not quite the tallest or largest geyser in the park (that honor goes to Steamboat Geyser), Old Faithful has erupted over 1 million times since the park’s inception, and each eruption releases up to 8,400 gallons of boiling water. The reliability of Old Faithful eruption schedule can be attributed at least in part to the fact that it is not connected to any other thermal features in the basin.
Old Faithful erupting in Yellowstone National Park
Predicted Geysers
A total of five of the largest geysers in this basin (including Old Faithful) are predicted by the Park Rangers. You can often see the daily schedule at the Visitor Center, as well as each geyser’s location. Along with Old Faithful, Castle, Daisy, Grand, and Riverside geysers have daily eruption protections.
Castle Geyser along an Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk
Castle Geyser
Boasting one of the largest cones in the Upper Geyser Basin, Castle Geyser has a large geyserite sinter deposit formed nearly 30 feet tall that has the rough appearance of a castle. This geyser erupts every 10-12 hours up to 90 feet high, and while each eruption can last up to 20 minutes, it also steams for an extended period of time too.
Daisy Geyser erupting in Upper Geyser Basin
Daisy Geyser
Just west of the main path, you’ll find the Daisy Group, a small loop trail featuring numerous geysers and hot springs, but the highlight of this group is its namesake. Next to Old Faithful, Daisy Geyser is one of the most predictable geysers in the park. Daisy erupts nearly every two hours and lasts 3-5 minutes, but the spray pattern is unique in that it shoots 75 feet high at an angle.
Morning Glory Pool in Upper Geyser Basin
Morning Glory Pool
Named by Mrs. E. N. McGowan, wife of Assistant Park Superintendent Charles McGowan in 1883 for its resemblance to the morning glory flower, Morning Glory Pool’s unique coloring is due to the bacteria which inhabit the water. Unfortunately the vivid blue colors are slowly being overshadowed by the yellow & orange outer rings, which have grown as people have thrown coins, trash, rocks, and logs into the pool over the years, blocking the vents and altering this beautiful pool’s appearance. An interpretive sign at the viewing platform discusses the damage and implores visitors to research the natural beauty found here. Although Morning Glory is the most popular hot spring in the upper geyser basin, you can find many other beautiful pools…a few of my personal favorites are the similar looking Chromatic Pool, Beauty Pool, the cool blue Belgian Pool, Shield Spring, and bubbling blue Spasmodic Geyser.
Beauty Pool in Upper Geyser Basin
Beehive Geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park
Other Notable Features
Along with over 100 named features, there are at least 200 unnamed geysers & pools in the Upper Geyser Basin area, and while most of the geysers here don’t have a daily predicted eruption schedule, that’s part of the fun. On my most recent visit, I saw Beehive Geyser suddenly shoot up nearly 200 feet from across the basin, and even from a distance it was an incredible sight. Grotto Geyser is another personal favorite, as its cone shape splashes and sputters sometimes for up to an hour during its daily eruptions. A few other highlights I’d encourage seeking out here are Grande Geyser, Giant Geyser, and Riverside Geyser…but truly every spring, pool and geyser is exciting. This would become be a ridiculously long post if I continue to mention all of my favorites, and I’m sure when you visit you’ll have your own favorites as well.
Grotto Geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park
Know Before You Go
• It’s of paramount importance that you stay on boardwalks and designated trails. Hydrothermal water can severely burn…never touch thermal features or step on thermal runoff.
• Swimming or soaking in hot springs is completely prohibited (and likely fatal).
• Pets are not allowed in thermal areas for their own safety.
• Never throw any objects into these features, and please remember and abide by the Leave No Trace Principles on your visit, so that our National Parks and public lands are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations, as well as for the people, animals and plants that call these places home.
• There are no permits required for day hiking in Yellowstone National Park. However, some areas can be closed to due high bear activity. Before you head out, you can check to see which Bear Management Areas are closed by clicking here. Follow best practices here, never approaching wildlife, and stay at least 100 yards away from bears (and wolves). Always carry bear spray when hiking and know how to use it, should the need arise.
• Toxic gases can build to great intensity in some areas. If you feel sick, leave immediately.
Top 10 Yellowstone Attractions
Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin
Lamar Valley
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Hayden Valley
Firehole Lake Drive
Mammoth Hot Springs
Gibbon Falls
Crested Pool in Yellowstone National Park
In Summary & Behind the Blog Video
Whether you only have an hour or two to view Old Faithful or you can spend all day exploring the Upper Geyser Basin loop (which I highly recommend), this is a must-stop spot on any Yellowstone National Park visit. Thanks for joining me today in Yellowstone…for a virtual visit, make sure to watch my Behind the Blog YouTube video below. Until next week I hope you find adventure and encouragement wherever you go.
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