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United States

Wyoming

Teton County

Upper Geyser Basin Trail

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

United States

Wyoming

Teton County

Upper Geyser Basin Trail

Easy

3.2

(5)

hikers

Upper Geyser Basin Trail

01:17

4.99km

20m

Hiking

A visit to Yellowstone National Park without Old Faithful is almost unthinkable - after all, the world-famous cone geyser attracts several million people every year. In addition to the impressive water fountain, it is above all its reliability with which it erupts every few minutes.

On this circular hike, we will take you straight there. The best time of day to have fewer people around you is early morning or evening. From the wooden walkway you have the best view of the up to 55 meter high column of water that shoots out of the ground. Once you have had your fill of the power of the geyser, our tour continues to other geothermal features.

Ear Spring, Grand Geyer and Giant Geyser - wherever you look, the earth is bubbling. Hot springs and hissing steam emerge from the ground. The Upper Geyser Basin is rightly named. The way back takes you along a section of the Continental Divide Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada along the continental divide.

by VisitTheUSA

Last updated: March 19, 2025

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Yellowstone National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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355 m

Old Faithful Geyser

Highlight • Natural Monument

Old Faithful is the most recognized name in all of Yellowstone National Park. This cone geyser erupts every 60 to 100 minutes and sprays water up to 185 feet in the air. Each eruption lasts between 2 to 5 minutes and can expel up to 8,000 gallons of water. The geyser is located just a short walk from the parking lot and is easily accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

Tip by

1.18 km

Ear Spring

Highlight • Natural Monument

Ear Spring is located in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park near Old Faithful. It is a hot spring that occasionally erupts as a geyser. During these rare eruptions, it can project water and debris up to 25 feet. On September 15, 2018, Ear Spring erupted for about a minute, reaching heights of 20 to 30 feet and was its largest eruption since 1957. The eruption ejected small rocks and trash, and the heated water killed some of the surrounding bacterial mats. Following this event, a new thermal feature emerged under the boardwalk near Pump Geyser, leading to a temporary closure of the boardwalk, and also lead to increased geothermal activity Doublet Pool and North Goggles Geyser. Although it is currently inactive, you never know!

Tip by

1.88 km

Grand Geyser

Highlight • Natural Monument

Simply breathtakingly beautiful. It's worth the wait.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.53 km

Giant Geyser

Highlight • Natural Monument

Giant Geyser is a dormant cone shaped geyser that has not erupted since 2019. The Giant can go through long periods of dormancy, some lasting as long as 20 years between eruptions. Steam can still be seen billowing from the mouth of the geyser and it could flare up at any moment.

Tip by

4.99 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.37 km

1.58 km

Surfaces

2.17 km

1.92 km

444 m

419 m

Elevation

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Weather

Today

Wednesday 19 August

23°C

4°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

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Comments

June 18, 2024,Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone

This morning the whole area around our cabin was covered in snow. After yesterday's winter storm, temperatures dropped below freezing at night. I wasn't really prepared for such temperatures in the middle of summer. Luckily it was a bit warmer in Yellowstone and during the day the sun came out and warmed us even more.

Showing Translation

August 2, 2026,Upper Geyser Basin

The Upper Geyser Basin Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a 5 to 7 kilometer long, flat, paved loop with boardwalks, featuring the world's highest density of geysers. Starting from the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, the trail winds past famous geysers such as Old Faithful, Grand Geyser, Grotto Geyser, and Morning Glory Pool.

Showing Translation

February 11, 2025

A visit to Yellowstone National Park without Old Faithful is almost unthinkable - after all, the world-famous cone geyser attracts several million people every year. In addition to the impressive water fountain, it is above all its reliability with which it erupts every few minutes.
﻿
On this circular hike

Translated by Google •

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Upper Geyser Basin Trail

Old Faithful Geyser

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