10 Best Geysers & Thermal Features in Yellowstone National Park
Over the course of a couple days, it’s not too difficult to drive and hike through all the major geyser basins throughout Yellowstone National Park.
However, if you’re trying to see it all, this tends to be a lot of hot and exhausting miles in the sun, which is exactly why I wanted to highlight the best of the best when it comes to the geysers, pools, and springs found throughout the park!
Hiking Checklist - Yellowstone-Tetons
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Yellowstone-Teton area.
10 Best Geysers & Thermal Features in Yellowstone National Park
While Yellowstone is a one-of-a-kind national park, many of the geyser basins can start to look the same if your intention is to see it all.
This is exactly why this list only includes the top 10 best thermal features found throughout Yellowstone, as well as my best recommendations for how to visit each!
Moreover, getting the chance to see each of the following geysers erupt takes a lot of time and patience, but if you’d like know more about the current activity and predictions by the National Park Service, check out the link below.
Current Geyser Activity: NPS Predictions
1. Morning Glory Pool
The Morning Glory Pool is arguably the most beautiful thermal feature in all of Yellowstone National Park!
That being said, it’s not the most convenient pool to hike to, as most people tend to make the long trek up from Old Faithful and back.
However, the Artemisia Trail, linked below, is a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to taking the fastest route to Morning Glory Pool, as opposed to the much longer trail through the entire Upper Geyser Basin.
Read My Separate Post: Artemisia Trail (Morning Glory Pool)
My Print - Morning Glory Pool
2. Great Fountain Geyser
The Great Fountain Geyser may be one of the most under appreciated as well as elusive eruptions in Yellowstone National Park, as the National Park Service estimates an average interval of around eleven and a half hours!
However, the terraced pools that pour out of the geyser make for some of the most beautiful photography opportunities, as you can see from this photo taken at sunset.
Google Maps Directions: Great Fountain Geyser
3. Old Faithful
Not much needs to be said about Old Faithful, as it’s easily the most popular geyser in the world!
That being said, you may notice the large crowd gathered around the geyser in the photo below, but if you’d like to enjoy the eruption at this upper viewpoint that’s almost guaranteed to have fewer people, check out my separate post below.
Read My Separate Post: Observation Point Trail
4. Grand Prismatic Spring
Side by side with Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring is up there for the most popular thermal feature in Yellowstone National Park.
While you can walk on the boardwalk to get right up to the spring, the best views are appreciated from the Grand Prismatic Overlook off the Fairy Falls Trail, which is where this photo was taken just after sunrise.
Read My Separate Post: Fairy Falls Trail
5. Lone Star Geyser
The Lone Star Geyser is one of Yellowstone’s more remote geysers, and while the it’s not the easiest to see erupt, it’s also not the most difficult eruption to witness either.
To learn more about the hike as well as what it takes to see the Lone Star Geyser erupt, check out all of the details in my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Lone Star Geyser Trail
6. Beehive Geyser
From personal experience, don’t try too hard to see the Beehive Geyser erupt. While it’s not the easiest to time, it’s also not the hardest.
On average, the Beehive Geyser erupts twice a day, which usually lasts about 4-5 minutes per eruption.
My personal recommendation is to grab a drink at the Old Faithful Inn and sit outside to see what you see. There’s no guarantee what time of day it’ll go off, but if you didn’t get to see it while exploring the Upper Geyser Basin, then I recommend sitting back and taking it easy.
The views from the deck of the Old Faithful Inn are just as good, if not better, than the boardwalk, which is exactly where the photo below was taken.
Google Maps Directions: Beehive Geyser
7. Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is easily the most loaded thermal area that I have on this list.
I say this because all of the others are individual geysers or thermal features, while Mammoth Hot Springs as a whole is actually a large collection of thermal features that all pour out of the mountainside in this one beautiful spot.
All said, Mammoth as a whole is one of the most unique thermal areas across all of Yellowstone compared to all the others that largely exist within geyser basins, which can start to look the same after a while.
Google Maps Directions: Mammoth Hot Springs
8. Riverside Geyser
When it comes to being patient, the Riverside Geyser is one of the more elusive eruptions to catch in Yellowstone National Park.
On average, the National Park Service estimates intervals of around six and a half hours between eruptions, which can make it a challenging one to see over others on this list.
Google Maps Directions: Riverside Geyser
9. Sapphire Pool
The Sapphire Pool was once an active geyser until an earthquake in the 1950s changed its current activity into the beautiful blue pool that we have today.
That being said, the Sapphire Pool is located in the Biscuit Geyser Basin, and it's one of the best to visit at the same time as the Morning Glory Pool because both the Biscuit Basin and the Artemisia Trailhead share the same parking area.
Google Maps Directions: Sapphire Pool
10. Artists’ Paintpots
The Artists’ Paintpots is really a number of different thermal features along the upper loop of the Artists’ Paintpots Trail.
Overall, the hike is to the Paintpots is fairly easy, which I recommend checking out first thing in the morning in order to enjoy this beautiful location before it gets too busy!
Read My Separate Post: Artists’ Paintpots Trail
