8 Yellowstone geysers that’ll knock your socks off


First, there is quiet, and then sometimes a hiss, and then—as quickly as your next breath—water begins pushing through the surface of the earth like a fire hose on full blast. We call them geysers. Some are predictable—Old Faithful isn’t known worldwide for nothing—and others are sporadic, surprising us when they set off.
Yellowstone National Park is home to over 500 of these awe-inspiring sprays, more than half of the world’s geysers. These bubblers are steady reminders of the powerful forces boiling beneath the earth’s surface—volcanic activity that has shaped the world as we know it. So yeah, it’s pretty special to walk among them. Ready to be both dazzled and humbled? Read on for our guide to Yellowstone’s most notable geysers.
What is a geyser?
A geyser is basically a pressurized hot spring. At Yellowstone, magma heats an underground natural plumbing system of water-filled tubes and pools. With enough time, the subterranean water begins to boil like a kettle on a stove, and the geyser releases powerful plumes of water and steam into the air through a small opening at the surface.
If that sounds pretty fantastical, that's because it is. Geysers only exist in a few places on Earth, including Yellowstone. Lucky for us, scientists have spent so much time studying these geysers that they can predict how frequently the most popular ones explode. Study the National Park Service’s geyser eruption guide to get the most of your time geyser gazing.
Ready to see nature’s version of putting Mentos in a Coke bottle? Here’s a guide to the park’s best geysers.

The best geysers at Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful is the most famous Yellowstone geyser for good reason. Named for the dependability of its displays, it puts on a show every 60 to 90 minutes, with 100-foot-high bursts that last anywhere between 1.5 to five minutes. If you definitely want to see a geyser launch, this is your spot. This cone geyser in Upper Geyser Basin has a big viewing area that’s often crowded, so plan to visit in the morning (before 10 a.m.) or late afternoon (after 3 p.m.) to have it more to yourself. This being the major tourist destination that it is, there’s also a visitors’ center, restaurants, a hotel and inn, souvenir shops, and many posted signs listing the estimated time for the next display.
Steamboat is the world’s tallest active geyser, and its flares are as awesome as they are rare: In 2020, eruptions here happened just 48 times. Some experts think Steamboat may be entering a dormant period. But when it does spew, it's reached as high as 400 feet, creating a liquid skyscraper in a flash. To get to it, take an accessible trail in the Norris Geyser Basin, on the park’s northwest side. FYI: you might not want to park too close to this one, since when the geyser does shoot off, the minerals in the steam can cause damage to car windows and paint.
True to its name, the Lone Star Geyser is situated away from the crowds, some three miles southeast of Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin. The backcountry hike to get to this remote spectacle, though, is gorgeous and pretty chill—and uncrowded by Yellowstone standards. The three-mile Lone Star Geyser Trail starts along an old service road near the Firehole River. It’ll take you about 45 minutes to walk to the geyser, viewing mountains, meadows, and wildflowers along the way. Then, plan to wait for Lone Star to jet forth, which happens about every three hours (bring a picnic or something else to do). The wait is worth it: Its 12-foot cone is capable of spraying up to 45 feet high.

Manifesting frequently throughout the day in the Lower Geyser Basin, Fountain Geyser is accessible via a lovely walking path built right over hot springs and other geothermal features. The geyser sits just 60 feet off the walking path, giving visitors a close-up view of the 80-foot-high, 30-minute-long water display.
Beehive Geyser is more unpredictable than others on this list, though it does surge about twice a day. Its narrow cone acts like a hose nozzle, shooting water and steam up to 190 feet skyward for around five minutes. Pro tip: Keep an eye on the smaller geyser next to it, which will start bubbling about 20 minutes before Beehive ejects.
Riverside Geyser, so named because it’s on the banks of the Firehole River, erupts every 5.5 to 6.5 hours, with events that can last up to 20 minutes. Water shoots in an arch toward the river and, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot a rainbow in the spray. Pay attention to when water starts pouring out of Riverside Geyser’s cone, which signals the natural performance will begin within 90 minutes.
Grand Geyser spews up to 200 feet, making it the tallest predictable geyser in the world. Expect a show every six to seven hours, lasting up to 12 minutes. See it in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin between Firehole River and the technicolor Chromatic Spring.
Perhaps the oldest of all Yellowstone geysers, and with the largest cone too, the dramatic Castle Geyser blasts off every ten to 12 hours, spraying 90 feet high and lasting about 20 minutes. After the main theatrics, stick around to see and hear its noisy steam.
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