Traveler Tidbit Old Faithful erupts every 44 to 125 minutes. To plan accordingly, check with the visitor center upon arrival or jht.guide/oldfaithful for upcoming eruption times.
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Norris Geyser Basin
(9 miles from Gibbon Falls) Norris is one of the hottest and most acidic of Yellowstone’s thermal areas. There are quite a number of colorful thermals to check out via various boardwalks and trails.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
(13 miles from Norris) Many Yellowstone visitors make the mistake of turning around after exploring Old Faithful and the geyser basins. Don’t be one of them! The aweinspiring Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and its dramatic Upper and Lower Falls are well worth the extra driving time. Carved into soft rhyolite stone by the Yellowstone River, the canyon is where visitors can truly see how Yellowstone garnered its name, with a rainbow of colors (including yellow!) in the exposed rock descending to the canyon floor.
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The tumbling waters of Lower Falls spiral from a height twice that of Niagara Falls. This vista can be enjoyed from Lookout Point, Red Rock Point and Artist Point.
Be sure to visit Canyon Village and check out the visitor education center, which includes interactive exhibits, animations and real-time scientific data.
Winter in Yellowstone Get a new perspective of Yellowstone’s geothermal features in a dramatic winter landscape by taking a tour with one of the many local snowmobile or snowcoach companies. Experienced guides will take you to Old Faithful, Upper Geyser Basin and West Thumb Geyser Basin to experience Yellowstone in winter.
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West Thumb Geyser Basin
(22 miles from the South Entrance) This will be your introduction to a variety of geothermal features: bubbling springs of finely milled mud, multicolored pools and steaming lakeside cones. Located right on the shore of vast Yellowstone Lake, this stop includes the Thumb Paint Pots, the deep, blue Abyss Pool and Fishing Cone, where early visitors joked one could catch a fish in the lake and then dunk it directly in boiling water to make dinner. Be sure to check out Traveler’s Yellowstone National Park One-Day Lower Loop Sightseeing Itinerary jht.guide/ynp-oneday
