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Yellowstone's Must-See Attractions
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The locations of all sites listed below are shown on the
map that you receive as you enter the park.
1) The top must-sees:
1.1) Old Faithful and The Upper Geyser Basin:
This area contains the largest concentration
of geysers in the world. Besides Old Faithful
Geyser try to see some of the other predicted
geysers. Grand Geyser is the Must-see geyser.
1.1.1) More About The Geysers
1.1.2) Tips On Avoiding the Old Faithful Crowd
1.2) Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:
The Lower and Upper Falls of the Yellowstone
river and the Canyon are spectacular.
1.3) Fountain Paint Pot Trail:
Along this short boardwalk are mudpots, hot
springs, fumaroles and almost perpetually
active geysers.
1.4) Wildlife:
Wildlife is constantly on the move. Once
you get to the park, ask around to find out
where the wildlife is currently located.
Drive in the morning and late afternoon to
increase your chances of seeing animals.
2) Some Other Attractions
3) Yellowstone Waterfalls
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1.1) Old Fauthful and the Upper Geyser Basin
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Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin are, in my
opinion, the number one must-see attraction in
Yellowstone.
Of course, everyone goes to see Old Faithful geyser but
few walk even the short distance needed to cross the river
and see Geyser Hill and even less spend time in the rest of
the geyser basin. The entire geyser basin is well worth
exploring.
The one square mile basin is home to hundreds of geysers
and some very pretty hot springs. Take your time and
explore. Sit, relax and watch some of the geysers. Only by
taking your time can you experience Yellowstone's unique
thermal wonders.
An interpretive pamphlet about the Upper Geyser Basin is
available at the visitor center and at the start of the
boardwalk behind Old Faithful. Pamphlets cost $0.25
(1996) but may be borrowed and returned to the
trailhead at no charge. Besides describing some of the
basins features the pamphlet also includes a map of the
basin which shows the boardwalks and the locations of
some of the major geysers and hot springs.
About four miles of boardwalks lead through the basin.
These boardwalks provide safe access to the thermal
features and protect delicate features from the trampling
feet of the thousands of tourists that visit the area each
year. For your safety, and the protection of the thermal
features, PLEASE stay on the boardwalks.
The must-see geyser is Grand. Eruption predictions for
this and a few other geysers are posted in the Old Faithful
Visitor Center. Grand is the largest predictable geyser in
the world. It is larger and lasts longer than Old Faithful.
More importantly, it is very spectacular and quite pretty.
Unfortunately, Grand can not be predicted as accurately
as Old Faithful so some waiting is required. Grand is well
worth the wait. The other predicted geysers are also
worth seeing but not at the risk of missing Grand.
My favorite pools in the basin are, Doublet Pool and Beauty
and Chromatic pools. Doublet pool is located on Geyser Hill.
If there are no people walking on the boardwalk, a condition
usually limited to early morning or late evening, sit on the
bench in front of the pool and you may feel thumping as
steam bubbles collapse deep in the pool.
Beauty and Chromatic pools, located between Grand and
Giant geysers, are connected underground. Over a period of
weeks one pool gets hotter and begins to overflow as the
other gets cooler and stops overflowing. Then the process
reverses. Usually the pool that is overflowing is the most
colorful.
Consider taking a ranger led walk. These walks are
usually informative and fun for children and adults.
Rangers often route their "geyser walks" so that you will
get to see some geysers erupt. You can find out about
scheduled walks at the Old Faithful Visitor Center.
If you catch the geyser bug you will want to spend at least
a day in the Upper Geyser Basin, if not you will still need
a half day.
You can call the Old Faithful Visitor Center at
(307)545-2750 to get current geyser prediction times.
Please only do this if your time is very limited. Besides
the visitor center, prediction times are also posted in
the lobbies of the Inn and Lodge.
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1.1.1) More About The Geysers
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Almost everyone that goes to Yellowstone watches at
least one eruption of Old Faithful geyser. Old Faithful is
worth seeing but there are many other geysers that are
just as interesting and some are even more spectacular
than Old Faithful. In my opinion, the most spectacular of
the predicted geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin (Old
Faithful Area) is Grand Geyser.
If you are interested in seeing some of the geysers, you
should first visit the Old Faithful visitor center. At the
visitor center you can check the posted predictions for
Old Faithful and the other predicted geysers. While you
are there, you should also talk to the park rangers about
what may be erupting soon and get their
recommendations for what to see.
If you want to see even more geysers or just want to learn
more about geysers then look at the book The Geysers
Of Yellowstone by T. Scott Bryan. It is available in the
park visitor centers. This book gives the characteristics of
hundreds of geysers and information on what to look for
before an eruption. The book is especially helpful if you
want to see some of the geysers that are not predicted at
the visitor center. Predictions are posted for only seven of
the hundreds of geysers in the park.
Another source of information about geysers are the
"Geyser Gazers". Geyser Gazers are people that study the
geysers. Most are park visitors but a few are park rangers
and park employees. Geyser Gazers keep track of many
of the geysers. Many of the smaller geysers can be
predicted, though their predictions are not posted at the
visitor center, and many of the other geysers give
indications when they are about to erupt. Many Geyser
Gazers are adept at understanding the eruption indicators
of many of the geysers. If they tell you that a geyser is
about to erupt, ask them some questions and try to
determine if they are knowledgeable. You may get to see
something that most visitors miss.
One word of warning. When watching a geyser, try, if
possible, to be on the upwind side. Otherwise, you may
only see a big steam cloud.
Geysers Predicted at Old Faithful
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The geysers predicted at the Old Faithful visitor center,
along with some of their characteristics, are listed below.
All are worth seeing but, I repeat, make an effort to see
Grand geyser.
To see a particular geyser, you should show up at the
beginning of the predicted range and wait. The two
geysers that USUALLY require the least waiting are Old
Faithful and Daisy.
Grand Geyser
Grand usually erupts every 8-12 hours to
150-180 feet and lasts about 12 minutes. It
will often stop after about 9 minutes and then
restart after a minute or so. This second
"burst" and any subsequent bursts are among
the tallest if not the tallest of the eruption. Be
sure to wait and see if there is a second
burst.
Daisy Geyser
Daisy usually erupts every 90-110 to 60-75
feet and lasts 3-4 minutes. It is very
predictable. I like the view from the side
away from Old Faithful the best.
Riverside Geyser
Riverside usually erupts every 5.5-7 hours to
75 feet. The water phase of the eruption
lasts about 20 minutes and is followed by a
30 minute steam phase.
Castle Geyser
Castle usually erupts every 9-11 hours to
60-90 feet. The twenty minute water phase
of a major eruption is followed by a 40
minute steam phase. The first 15 minutes of
the steam phase is relatively forceful and
fairly loud so try to be close for this part.
Castle often has minor eruptions which last
only a few minutes. When it has a minor
eruption, Castle becomes unpredictable until
it has its next major eruption.
Great Fountain Geyser
Great Fountain is located 8 miles north of
Old Faithful on Firehole Lake Drive. It
usually erupts every 10 hours in a series of
distinct bursts that occur over a period of an
hour. Early bursts can be over 200 feet but
80-100 feet is more common The first 10
minutes are the most spectacular.
Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful erupts every 35-120 minutes for
1.5-5 minutes to a height of 90-184 feet.
The rangers say that 90% of their
predictions are within +/- 10 minutes. The
time to the next eruption is predicted using
the duration of the current eruption. The
longer the eruption lasts, the longer the
interval until the next eruption. For instance,
a 2 minute eruption results in an interval of
about 50 minutes whereas a 4.5 minute
eruption results in an interval of about 85
minutes. It is not possible to predict more
than one eruption in advance. Old Faithful is
deceiving. The benches around the geyser
are over 300 feet from the geyser but with
nothing to judge the distance by, I rarely
realize just how big the geyser is until I get
further away. I like the view from Geyser
Hill. As with any geyser, watch the wind
direction or you may only see steam.
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1.1.2) Tips On Avoiding the Old Faithful Crowd
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There are almost always large crowds sitting on the
benches around Old Faithful waiting for it to erupt.
After the eruption everyone leaves at the same time
creating a human tidal wave. This wave is noticeable
throughout the geyser basin. Even at Morning Glory Pool,
a 1.5 miles walk from the geyser, a MUCH smaller
time-delayed wave is noticeable.
The wave is at its worst near the geyser. It is especially
bad at the restrooms, Visitor Center, Old Faithful Inn and
Lodge, Geyser Hill trail, the parking lot and for about 5
miles in either direction along the Grand Loop road.
Probably one of the most aggravating places to get caught
in the wave is on Geyser Hill.
There are a couple of ways to avoid the wave.
The easiest is to never get in the wave in the first
place. You can do this by watching Old Faithful
from a different vantage point than the benches
around the geyser. One good place to watch the
geyser erupt is from the bench near Plume geyser
on Geyser Hill. Another interesting place is the
Geyser Basin overlook above Geyser Hill.
A second way to avoid the wave is to wait until it
has passed you by. After the eruption find
something to do for 10-20 minutes and the worst
of the crowds will already be gone.
Being caught in the wave can be aggravating and has the
potential of ruining your time in the geyser basin.
Fortunately, once you are aware of the wave you can
easily avoid it.
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1.2) Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
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The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is, in my
opinion, the number two must-see attraction in
Yellowstone.
Most of the scenery in Yellowstone is on an intimate scale
but this is not true of the canyon. The canyon has a grand
scenic scale that is spectacular. The colorful canyon walls
and waterfalls are beautiful and worth exploring.
You can get an interpretive pamphlet about the canyon at
the Canyon Visitor Center located in Canyon Village. The
pamphlet also describes some of the trails in the area.
To tour the canyon first take the North Rim Drive
stopping at each lookout and then cross the river and go
out to Artist Point and take the short walk to the lookout.
This will leave the most spectacular overlook until the last.
The must-see lookout is at Artist Point.
I recommend the walk down to the lip of the Lower Falls.
The Red Rock Trail is almost as nice. I do not
recommend Uncle Tom's Trail. There are also trails along
both rims of the canyon. The rim trails can get you away
from the crowds.
A nice water fall, Crystal Falls, can be seen along the
north rim trail between the Lower Falls and Upper Falls.
It is best during high runoff.
A nice picnic area is located along the river upstream from
the canyon just after you cross the Yellowstone river on
your way to Artist Point.
You can see the canyon area in half a day unless you stay
with the car, then you can rush through in an hour.
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1.3) Fountain Paint Pot Trail
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The Fountain Paint Pots Trail is, in my opinion, the
number three must-see attraction in Yellowstone.
This short and easy 1/2 mile loop trail is located in the
Lower Geyser Basin. On the short walk you get to see very
good examples of most types of thermal features found in
the park. These features include some very pretty hot pools,
fumaroles, geysers and probably the best easily accessed
mudpots in the park. The area is highly active and at least
one geyser is usually erupting here at all times.
An interpretive pamphlet and map is available at the
trailhead.
It takes about 1/2 hour to get around this area. The
parking lot is small and it can be hard to find a parking
space but the sights along the trail are well worth the
hassle.
If your time in the park is EXTREMELY limited, I suggest
you stop to see Old Faithful erupt and then walk the
Fountain Paint Pot Trail. In this way you can see a good
cross-section of what the park has to offer.
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1.4) Wildlife
________
Maybe I should have made this the number one
"must-see", but it is impossible to guarantee where you
will see wildlife. Try to get out and drive in the early
morning and late afternoon to have the best chance of
seeing the wildlife.
You should see a lot of wildlife, especially bison. It is
illegal to harass or approach wildlife too closely. BISON
are FAST and DANGEROUS so keep your distance.
Each year a number of visitors get too close to some lazy
looking bison and end up getting seriously gored.
To get an idea of where to see wildlife, ask the wildlife
watchers, park concessionaires, other park visitors and
the park rangers. Between all of these you should get
some good ideas. Two areas that are usually good places
to look are Lamar Valley, in the northeast corner of the
park, and Hayden Valley, between Yellowstone Lake and
the Canyon.
For best viewing, bring a pair of binoculars or a spotting
scope. This is especially true if you want to watch grizzly
bears or wolves.
The types of animals you may see include: bison, elk,
white pelicans, trumpeter swans, moose, big horn sheep,
coyotes, pronghorn, mule deer, black bear, grizzly bear,
osprey, eagles, hawks, porcupines, ground squirrels,
marmots, beaver, rabbits and many types of song birds.
Where are the bears?
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Bears are commonly seen in Lamar Valley and
in the valley below the road between Dunraven Pass and
Tower Junction. They are, to a slightly lesser extent, seen
in Hayden Valley. You may also see bears in other parts
of the park but that is mainly luck. Even at the above
listed locations don't expect viewing to be easy. Bring a
pair of binoculars or a spotting scope. Get out in the
morning and late afternoon when the bears are active and
more likely to be seen. Look for other tourists along the
roads with spotting scopes. Many of the wildlife watchers
spend their time along Dunraven pass and in Lamar valley.
If you can find any of them, they should have suggestions
on where to look and might be able to point out where
bears and wolves have recently been seen. These are
good people to look for. They usually are up to date on
wildlife sightings. Before the mid-seventies it was common
to see numerous bears begging for food along the roads.
In the late 1960's the park service became very serious
about prohibiting the feeding of bears. This was done to
return the bears to their natural habitat. The program has
worked but now it is unusual to see a bear. Bears are still
seen but it is now an experience to be hoped for instead
of expected.
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2) Some Other Attractions
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Listed below are some of the other attractions worth
seeing in Yellowstone.
I have listed many of the major sights but not all, so
explore for yourself.
RANGER WALK
Try to take a ranger led walk. They are fun and
informative for children and adults alike. To find out
what is being offered ask a ranger or look at a
copy of "Discover Yellowstone", available at the
visitor centers at a small cost.
The following 13 areas are in the order that you come
across them
if you drive the Grand Loop Road in a clockwise
direction starting at Old Faithful.
THE UPPER GEYSER BASIN
See section 1.1 above.
OLD FAITHFUL INN
Although man made, the lobby of this 1904
National Historic Landmark is well worth
seeing. (The Inn is the tallest building located
near Old Faithful geyser. Don't confuse it
with the less impressive Old Faithful Lodge.)
BLACK SAND BASIN
This basin near the Old Faithful overpass has
some pretty hot pools.
MIDWAY GEYSER BASIN
This has two of the largest thermal features
in the park. Excelsior geyser, before it went
dormant at the turn of the century, was the
largest geyser in Yellowstone. Its large
boiling crater is still interesting to see. Grand
Prismatic pool is the largest pool in the park
and is very colorful. On a warm day you can
get a good view of the basin by scrambling
up the hill located across the road from the
parking lot.
LOWER GEYSER BASIN
This is the most extensive basin in the park
covering about 11 square miles. It is home
to the Fountain Paint Pots (see setion 1.3 above),
Fountain Flat Drive (now mostly closed to
cars, it is often a good place to see bison
and other wildlife), Firehole Lake Drive and
many geysers and hot springs.
Located along Firehole Lake Drive are
many geysers including Great Fountain
(eruption predictions posted at the Old
Faithful Visitor Center and in the summer at
the geyser), a number of hot pools and the 3
Senses Nature Trail.
FOUNTAIN PAINT POTS TRAIL
See section 1.3 above.
NORRIS GEYSER BASIN
Norris is the hottest thermal area in the park.
This coupled with acidic water (most other
areas in the park contain slightly alkaline
water) makes the appearance of Norris
different from other areas in the park. This
difference is most spectacular from the
Porcelain Terrace overlook trail. To get to
this trail go through the museum, start down
the hill and take the loop trail to the right.
The Back Basin trail is also a must. Cistern
spring and Echinus geyser are well worth
seeing. Many that see Echinus geyser enjoy
its 1 to 45 minute eruptions more than Old
Faithful. Echinus usually erupts every 20-80
minutes to a height of upto 125 feet.
Eruption prediction times for Echinus are
posted in the Norris Museum.
An interpretive pamphlet about this area is
available at the trailhead near the museum. It
will take at least 2 hours to see Norris.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS
The activity here changes quickly. If
you have not been here before you
should walk around the multi-colored
limestone terraces. If you have been
here before, look for the changes since
you were last here. There are few
places that geologic changes occur so
quickly.
An interpretive pamphlet with
descriptions and a map of the area
showing the locations of the various
springs is available at the trailheads and
at the Mammoth visitor center. See a
map of the area here.
As of July 1997, the best activity at
Mammoth was at Minerva Terrace and
at Canary Spring. Both are must-see
attractions. I suggest you do the Main
Terrace in two parts. First, park your
car at the bottom, preferably at the
eastern most parking area. (It is the
highest in elevation of the parking areas
at the bottom and the one most distant
from the town site). From there walk
the loop trail of the lower portion of the
Main Terrace. Be sure to pass by
Minerva Terrace. Once you've done
this, then, return to your car and drive
to the one way, Upper Terrace Drive.
In this way you will avoid the steep
stairs to the top of the Main terrace. On
the Upper Terrace Drive be sure to
stop at the Main Terrace Overlook and
take the trail on the far right to Canary
Spring. For the past few years, Canary
Spring has been truly spectacular.
TOWER FALLS
If you are driving past, be certain to stop.
The falls overlook is just a short distance
from the store parking lot. I also like the
view from the bottom but that requires a
short hike.
GRAND CANYON of the YELLOWSTONE
See section 1.2 above.
MUD VOLCANO AREA
The temperatures here are lower than at the
geyser basins but the activity is interesting
and worth exploring. An interpretive
pamphlet about this area is available at the
trailhead.
YELLOWSTONE LAKE
What can I say? It's a big lake. If there is a
storm it can be fun. There are many nice
picnic areas along the lake.
WEST THUMB GEYSER BASIN
This basin is located on Yellowstone Lake
and with this back drop it can be pretty. On
a warm day, Black pool is one of my
favorite in the park. An interpretive pamphlet
about this area is available at the trailhead.
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3) Yellowstone Waterfalls
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Listed below are many of the waterfalls that are easily
accessed from the main roads in Yellowstone.
Crystal Falls
129 ft. This very nice waterfall tumbles over
the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone about halfway between the
Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. Clear views
of the falls can only be seen from the North
Rim Trail. These views of Crystal Falls are the
only reason that I recommend the North Rim
Trail between the Upper and Lower Falls.
Gibbon Falls
84 ft. Located 5 miles north of Madison
Junction. The falls are located at the point
where the Gibbon river tumbles over the wall
of the 600,000 year old Yellowstone Caldera.
There is a parking area at the top of the falls
where you can get out and walk back for
good views of the falls.
Fairy Falls
197 ft. These falls, located in the Lower
Geyser Basin, require a 6 mile round trip hike
to see. The water falls in a narrow unbroken
stream for almost the entire 197 feet.
Unfortunately, the area was heavily burned
during the 1988 fires.
Firehole Falls
40 ft. Located .5 miles south of Madison
Junction on the one way Firehole Canyon
Road. The Firehole Canyon road is well
worth taking. The narrow, steep canyon is
worth seeing as are the falls.
Kepler Cascades
100-150 ft. (depending on how you
measure the varius cascades) Located
about 2 miles south of Old Faithful. The
roadside observation point provides good
views of these interesting cascades and their
narrow canyon.
Lewis Falls
30 ft. Located about 11 miles north of
Yellowstone's South Entrance, two miles
south of Lewis Lake. These falls can be seen
just up stream from the bridge that crosses the
Lewis River.
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River
308 ft. Located in the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone , this is the highest waterfall in
Yellowstone and a must-see. Many fine views
of the falls can be had from many of the
Canyon lookouts and from the Canyon rim
trails. A particularly nice view is from Artists
Point on the south side of the Canyon. The
hike down to the brink of the falls is steep, but
not bad if taken slowly. It is well worth the
effort. I highly recommend walking down to
the brink of the falls.
Moose Falls
32 ft. Located about a mile north of
Yellowstone's South Entrance. Be sure to
look for the small sign indicating the parking
lot and trail head. The falls are located down
the short trail. This beautiful falls is well worth
stopping to see.
Mystic Falls
70 ft. Located behind Biscuit Basin near Old
Faithful along the Mystic Falls Loop Trail.
This is a favorite trail, leading through Biscuit
Basin, past Mystic Falls and up to the Basin
Overlook. The upper portions of Mystic Falls
are colored by hot springs located near the
brink of the falls.
Osprey Falls
150 ft. Located about 5 miles south of
Mammoth. They can only be seen from the
old Bunsen Peak road, now a trail. From the
trailhead, it is 3 miles to the turnoff to the falls
and another 2 miles to the base of the falls.
The falls are located in 800ft. deep
Sheepeater Canyon.
Rustic Falls
47 ft. Located about 5 miles south of
Mammoth. This falls is right next to the road
as the road cuts through Golden Gate. They
can easily be missed by north bound traffic.
Tower Falls
132 ft. Tower Falls is located at the northern
end of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The falls can be seen from the overlook a
short distance from the Tower Falls Parking
Lot and Hamilton Store. A further 1 mile
roundtrip hike leads to the base of the falls.
Both views are worthwhile. Tower Falls is
characterized by the tower like rock
formations around the top of the falls.
Undine Falls
110 ft. in two parts Undine Falls is located
about 4 miles east of Mammoth Hot Springs.
The roadside pull-off offers good views of the
two tiered falls located on Lava Creek.
Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River
109 ft. The Upper Falls is located at the head
of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The
brink of the falls can be reached via an easy
1/8 mile trail. Head on views of the falls can
be had from the South Rim Trail, up stream
from the Uncle Tom's parking area.
Virginia Cascade
60 ft. Located 3 miles east of Norris on the
one way Virginia Cascade Road. The heavily
forested area provides a nice setting for this
sloping cascade.
Wraith Falls
100 ft. This sloping falls on Lupine Creek is
located about 5 miles east of Mammoth at the
end of a half mile trail.
Cascade Corner
This is the place for those that like the
backcountry and waterfalls. Many of
Yellowstone's largest waterfalls are located in
this, the southwest or Bechler River, corner of
the park. All waterfalls in this area require
hikes to reach. Much of the area is quite wet
and it is a good idea to wait until later in the
year to hike this region. Among the waterfalls
located here are: Union Falls 250 ft.;
Colonade Falls 35 and 67 ft.; Dunanda Falls
150 ft.; Ouzel Falls 230 ft. and many more.