Overview
The Upper Geyser Basin contains the most concentrated group of geysers in the world. There are over a hundred with many that are routinely active. Many of the geysers are clustered along trails that follow the Firehole River. There are several groupings that are named after the larger geysers including the Castle Group, Grand Group, Daisy Group, Giant Group, Morning Glory Group, and the Cascade group. At the very end you will find Biscuit Basin which is further north and more distant from the other clusterings.
Plan for getting the most from Upper Geyser Basin
To get the most of your time at Upper Geyser Basin requires some research and planning. You could easily walk the trails in 2 hours, but to really get the most out of the Upper Geyser Basin you need to see some eruptions. It is hard to plan too far ahead because of the timing of the eruptions, so wake up with a flexible plan and be ready to adjust
The Yellowstone National Park App
The key to success with Upper Geyser Basin is to download the official Yellowstone National Park App. Like all national park maps it has great information but this one has geyser eruption predictions for the larger geysers. It lists the predicted next eruption and if you look at the geyser usual eruption interval you can predict them for the day. The first thing to do in your day is to look at the geyser predictions and determine your plan starting with Upper Geyser Basin. Once you know eruption times, begin mapping how to see as many as possible during a half-day window. Each one is very different and each one remarkable in its own way.
Frequent Mistakes not to Make
- Don’t plan ahead – Many plan their day in logical order and get to Upper Geyser Basin when they get there. I remember our day where we say 8 geysers in a period of 3 hours, seeing people walking the trail from the parking lot with the kids and families. They had just missed the most spectacular eruptions and were looking at their map reading what geysers were there. It will be another 6-8 hours for a repeat performance. Had they been 1 hour earlier their experience would have been completely different.
- Start with Old Faithful – So many people park and look at the next eruption of Old Faithful and have a seat to wait. The great thing about Old Faithful is just that. It is Old Faithful. It erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and the rangers will have the geyser predictions posted. Save Old Faithful for the last and plan around the geysers that erupt less frequently.
- Not taking into account eruption windows – We made this on our first try. The eruption say 9:42 am + 30 minutes. We had to do a little jogging to get up close as it went off about 15 minutes early. Pace yourself and try to be there before the actual prediction.
- Not willing to sit and wait a bit – The larger eruptions are really a remarkable thing to witness. They are on their own schedule and not ours. Sometimes you see one eruption and there will be another just a few yards away in 1 hours. I heard so many say, “I am not going to wait an hour, we can come back”. Again, there is a window and you might come back having missed it. And part of the thrill is watching it sputter, start and stop, then erupt with full intensity. This is vacation. Take a few minutes to sit and enjoy the show.
Castle Geyser
Grand Geyser
Grotto Geyser
Key Geysers to See
Castle Geyser – Within site of the parking lot, the Castle Geyser has a larger cone than many of the geysers. It usually erupts every 12 hours. It is not always mapped in the app, but last for about 20 minutes and will continue with a steam follow-up of 30 – 40 minutes.
Grand Geyser – Grand is the tallest predictable geyser known and can reach heights of 200 ft. The geyser is on a separate short path near Old Faithful and Castle. Its eruptions last between 9 to 12 minutes and occur in a series of 1 to 4 burst. Many will see the burst then quickly leave. My advice is to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and you may see the next burst. It erupts every 4 to 8 hours and is one to really plan around.
Giant Geyser – This geyser is currently in a dormant phase since 2019. When it does erupt is can last over an hour and can reach up to 250 feet high.
Daisy Geyser – This geyser is on another short path with eruptions every 2 to 4 hours. The eruptions lasts between 3 to 5 minutes and reaches a height of 75 feet.
Grotto Geyser – A fountain geyser and erupts about every 8 hours. The eruptions are only 10 feet high, but can last between an hour and 10 hours long. The shape of the grotto geyser is really unique. The geysers in this area impact each other and eruptions change as one geyser erupts. Take some time to talk to a ranger who will tell you the behavior of these geyser at the time of your visit.
Riverside Geyser – Our favorite geyser as it sites on the Firehole River. The geyser erupts every 5 to 7 hours and reaches heights of 75 feet. The water creates a beautiful arch into the river and often you can see a rainbow above the river. It is very predictable in that there are no other geysers nearby that will interrupt its activity, but is often 20 minutes early or late from its predictions. This is a great geyser to watch before as it will bubble water into the river for a period of time before eruption.
Old Faithful – Now that you have spent a few hours chasing eruptions, it is time to have a seat near Old Faithful. It is a cone geyser and erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and is predicted by the ranger each day. The eruption can be up to 180 feet and last for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes long. There are a lot of crowds to watch Old Faithful so take a seat and enjoy the show.
Old Faithful Village
Since you have spent at least half a day here, you may want to spend time in Old Faithful Village. Only the well-planned travelers will get to stay in the Old Faithful Inn, but everyone should take a moment to walk around this historic inn. If you are looking for food, you can dine in the Old Faithful Inn dining room. Other options include the Old Faithful Lodge cafeteria, and the Snow Lodge Geyser Grill. There are picnic tables for those that have packed their lunch and don’t forget the gift shop has wonderful ice cream for a hot day.
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