Beyond Old Faithful: Walking Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin
Old Faithful may be Yellowstone National Park’s most famous attraction, and seeing it erupt is every bit as impressive as its reputation suggests. A column of water rises more than 100 feet into the air, surrounded by clouds of steam, and its eruptions are predictable enough that visitors can usually plan to be there for one.
Still, one of the best pieces of advice we heard while planning our Yellowstone trip was simple: Do not stop at Old Faithful. Keep walking.
Old Faithful is only one feature within the Upper Geyser Basin, an extraordinary landscape filled with geysers, colorful hot springs, steaming vents, and miles of boardwalks and trails. We came to see the famous geyser, but the walk beyond it became the real experience.
Watching Old Faithful Erupt
We parked in the enormous lot near Old Faithful and stopped at the visitor center to check the predicted eruption times. The park tracks several geysers in the basin, making it possible to plan a walk around one or more expected eruptions.
Old Faithful was predicted to erupt about ten minutes after we arrived. Perfect timing.
We walked to the viewing area, found a seat on one of the benches, and barely had time to settle in before the activity began. Water sputtered above the cone, fell back, and rose again. Then the geyser surged upward, growing taller as steam gathered around it in the cool morning air.
The eruption was bigger and more dramatic than I expected. The water climbed into the sky while a dense white cloud drifted around it, sometimes obscuring the column completely.
It was very cool to witness, but we knew there was much more waiting beyond the crowded viewing area.
Walking the Upper Geyser Basin
From the Old Faithful platform, we followed the boardwalks into the Upper Geyser Basin. We picked up one of Yellowstone’s small trail guides before setting out. It included a map and information about the major features we would pass, giving us some idea of what was bubbling, steaming, or erupting beside the trail.
The walk took us several hours because there was always another reason to stop. Some features were quiet pools with startling color. Others hissed, churned, or sent steam drifting across the boardwalk.
Yellowstone contains more geysers than anywhere else on Earth, and the Upper Geyser Basin holds an especially dense collection. Once we moved beyond Old Faithful, the landscape seemed active in every direction.
Old Faithful deserved our attention, but I am glad we did not return to the car after its eruption. Following the boardwalk brought us close to delicate mineral formations, pools that seemed to hold their own light, and small springs whose constant splashing was just as fascinating as the famous geyser’s towering plume.
If you have time to see Old Faithful, give yourself a few more hours and keep walking. The rest of the Upper Geyser Basin is waiting just beyond it.
