Hiking the Norris Geyser Basin Trail in Yellowstone National Park
Distance (Both Basins): 2.7 miles / 4.3 km
The Norris Geyser Basin Trail in Yellowstone National Park is an easy day hike through two separate geyser basins, the Back Basin and Porcelain Basin, totaling 193 individual geysers and making the entire area the third-most-concentrated geyser basin behind only the Upper and Lower Basins!
Within Norris, visitors can choose to hike through one or both basins, as outlined in this article. If all the interconnecting boardwalks seem overwhelming, I recommend hiking the route outlined in this article, as I believe there is one best way to navigate the all the different trails, starting with Back Basin.
If you aren’t interested in hiking all 2.7 miles (4.3 km), there are shortcuts in both Back Basin and Porcelain Basin to make the hike back to the trailhead quicker, regardless of the direction you choose to venture out from the Norris Geyser Basin Museum.
How Long is the Norris Geyser Basin Trail?
Since many hikers only explore parts of the full Norris Geyser Basin Trail, I’ve broken down each section to help you plan your adventure.
Norris Geyser Basin Distances:
Norris Geyser Basin Trailhead to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
Norris Geyser Basin Museum – Full Back Basin Loop Trail: 1.8 miles (2.9 km)
Back Basin Shortcut: 0.2 miles (0.3 km)
Eliminates: 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
Norris Geyser Basin Museum – Full Porcelain Basin Loop Trail: 0.7 miles (1.1 km)
Porcelain Basin Shortcut: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
Eliminates: 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
Total Distance (Both Basins - Not Including Shortcuts): 2.7 miles (4.3 km)
Norris Geyser Basin Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Norris Geyser Basin Trail is located in a large paved parking lot, about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from Norris Junction and Grand Loop Road.
Before visiting, be aware that the large parking lot is not nearly large enough to accommodate the amount of traffic the Norris Geyser Basin attracts, meaning that on most beautiful days throughout the busy summer travel season, visitors are forced to park outside of the main parking lot near Norris Junction and hike in.
This is why I recommend arriving first thing in the morning.
Google Maps Directions: Norris Geyser Basin Trailhead
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.
Hiking the Norris Geyser Basin Trail
The Norris Geyser Basin Trail begins on a paved path that leads toward the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, at which point hikers must decide whether to branch out on the longer Back Basin Loop first or the shorter Porcelain Basin Loop, which I discuss in more detail below.
Norris Geyser Basin Bookstore
Shortly before the paved path reaches the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, the trail passes the bookstore on the left-hand side.
If you walk inside, there are always some interesting reads about Yellowstone, including tragic accidents, haunted ghost stories, and more!
Norris Geyser Basin Museum
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Norris Geyser Basin Trail reaches the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, the jumping-off point for hiking each loop through the two different basins.
Personally, I always prefer to start on the Back Basin Loop because it’s the longer of the two, making the much shorter loop through the Porcelain Basin nice to save for the end.
Regarding my thoughts above, I chose to go left at the Norris Geyser Basin Museum to start hiking the Back Basin Loop toward Steamboat Geyser.
Back Basin Loop Trail
This is the start of the descent through Back Basin.
That said, it is most common to go left in the clockwise direction around the loop toward the Steamboat Geyser, as the path to the right is really nothing more than a connector to the far side of the loop that leads into Porcelain Basin.
Once again, I chose to go left to continue hiking toward Steamboat Geyser.
From the beginning of the Back Basin Loop, the trail descends about 55 ft. (16.8 m) to the bottom of the hill.
This is the same place where the shortcut that leads to the Veteran Geyser begins.
Steamboat Geyser
After just 0.25 miles (0.4 km) from the start of the Back Basin Loop, the Norris Geyser Basin Trail passes the junction for Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser!
I’ve stood on this platform countless times over the years and always thought, "Will today be the day I finally see it erupt..?"
However, in all seriousness, Steamboat Geyser is often considered to be the most unpredictable geyser in Yellowstone National Park, as there is no consistency between eruptions like there is with Old Faithful, and they can be spread out by years of dormancy.
After Steamboat Geyser, the Back Basin Loop descends three gradual switchbacks to the bottom of the hill and the start of the optional Back Basin Shortcut Trail.
East Back Basin Loop-Back Basin Shortcut Junction
After 0.4 miles (0.6 km) since leaving the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, the Back Basin Loop finally reaches the bottom of the descent and the shortcut that leads over to the west side of the loop and the connection with Porcelain Basin.
Personally, I recommend going left to complete the full Back Basin Loop and, at the end, hiking out and back a short distance on the west side to see the two geysers closest to the western junction.
To skip ahead to the Back Basin Shortcut Trail, click here.
Regarding my thoughts above, I chose to go left to continue hiking around the full Back Basin Loop Trail.
After the short 55-ft. (16.8 m) descent, the Back Basin Loop is mostly flat, except for the optional hike to the upper platform above the Echinus Geyser just ahead.
Echinus Geyser
Echinus Geyser is one of the more notable geysers in Back Basin, as it is the largest known acidic geyser in the world!
This is significant because the vast majority of geysers worldwide are neutral to alkaline, not acidic.
As far as eruptions go, the National Park Service says they are infrequent and often months to years apart!
Depending on the wind, the best way to see the Echinus Geyser may be from the upper platform.
This is the upper platform above Echinus Geyser.
After Echinus Geyser, the Back Basin Loop wraps around the south side before continuing farther through the basin.
On the southern side of Echinus Geyser, the Back Basin Loop branches off to one more viewpoint on the left, while the main trail continues to the right.
This is where the Back Basin Loop Trail continues to the right.
As the Norris Geyser Basin Trail makes its way toward the far southern end of the Back Basin Loop, the trail passes a number of both named and unnamed thermal features.
Of all there is to see along this stretch, I personally think the pools just before and at Dishwater Spring are the most beautiful—especially when the sun is shining!
Dishwater Spring
These are the pools just before and at Dishwater Spring.
Since there is so much exposure on the trails through both Porcelain and Back Basin, I highly recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt.
To this point, I’ve almost always looked for cloudier mornings to spend hiking through the Norris Geyser Basin because, otherwise, both loops end up involving a lot of time spent in the sun!
Puff 'n Stuff Geyser
The Puff 'n Stuff Geyser is the last geyser before the far southern end of the Back Basin Loop, meaning this is where the Norris Geyser Basin Trail through the Back Basin starts to work its way back toward the beginning.
This is the far southern end of the Back Basin Loop Trail.
Just before the Back Basin Loop turns to the north, the trail passes this split, which leads to a beautiful overlook above Green Dragon Spring and Gray Lakes.
This is the beginning of the return side of the loop, which leads back to the Shortcut Trail, the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, and the start of the Porcelain Basin side of the Norris Geyser Basin Trail.
Orby Geyser
According to old records, Orby Geyser has gone by multiple names over the years, including Butch Geyser and Orbicular Geyser, before Orby eventually became the name most commonly used today.
I think it’s important to mention that bear spray should always be carried when hiking the Norris Geyser Basin Trail, regardless of its popularity.
This is something that is true about every adventure in the Yellowstone–Teton area, even when it comes to boardwalk trails such as this.
Furthermore, I can speak from experience that Grizzlies don’t care about the popularity of any particular trail, and I have a good story about this in my long article about the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park.
Porkchop Geyser
Similar to the dramatic explosion in Biscuit Basin’s Black Diamond Pool that occurred on July 23, 2024, Porkchop Geyser also exploded in 1989!
The National Park Service says that rocks were thrown more than 200 ft. (61 m) during the event, and it remains part of the geyser’s ever-changing story, as it has acted like both a hot spring and a geyser over the years and will likely continue to change as time goes on!
This is where the Back Basin Loop Trail splits with the Porkchop Geyser viewpoint platform.
Pearl Geyser
In my opinion, Pearl Geyser and the surrounding turquoise-blue pools on either side of the boardwalk are some of the most beautiful thermal features on the west side of the Back Basin Loop Trail!
West Back Basin Loop-Back Basin Shortcut Junction
This is where the full Back Basin Loop Trail returns to the same shortcut initially reached at the bottom of the descent beneath Steamboat Geyser.
Once here, go straight to continue hiking the Back Basin Loop toward Porcelain Basin and the Norris Museum, or, if you are interested in seeing both Veteran Geyser and Corporal Geyser off the shortcut, go right when hiking and click the link below to skip ahead.
To skip ahead to the start of the Back Basin Shortcut Trail, click here.
After the Back Basin Shortcut, the loop passes a handful of other thermal features on both sides of the trail before entering a dense Lodgepole Pine forest as it climbs its way back to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum and the start of the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail.
Monarch Geyser
The Monarch Geyser was once among the most powerful geysers in the Norris Geyser Basin, with eruptions so violent that an 1881 eruption reportedly shook the basin and flooded the old road with enough water to halt travel.
Today, the geyser is much quieter, but it is interesting—and a bit eerie—how close the National Park Service built the boardwalk to the crater, though they must not be anticipating an eruption anytime soon!
Minute Geyser
Unfortunately, Minute Geyser, much like the Solitary Geyser on the Observation Point Trail, was severely altered by some of the park’s early visitors.
As a result, eruptions that used to occur every 60 seconds are now much less predictable, which is exactly why the National Park Service has signs posted throughout the park discouraging visitors from throwing anything into the thermal features.
In fact, it is not uncommon to receive a citation for doing so.
Immediately after the Minute Geyser, the Back Basin Loop enters a dense Lodgepole forest and begins a gradual ascent back to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum and the beginning of the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail.
On the hike up, the Norris Geyser Basin Trail passes a few lesser-known thermal features, including the Forgotten Fumarole and the Rediscovered Geyser, before completing the Back Basin Loop.
Back Basin-Porcelain Basin Junction
After 1.8 miles (2.9 km) around the full loop, the Back Basin portion of the Norris Geyser Basin Trail comes to an end.
That said, go left at this split to begin hiking toward the Porcelain Basin Loop, just a few steps ahead, as the trail to the right simply leads back to the beginning of the Back Basin Loop Trail.
Lower Porcelain Basin-Norris Geyser Basin Museum Junction
This is the beginning of the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail, just below the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, when coming from Back Basin.
If you’ve followed the trail as shown thus far, go left at this junction to begin hiking the Porcelain Basin Loop in the clockwise direction, which is the most common route visitors take around the loop, whether arriving from Back Basin or the museum.
Upper Porcelain Basin Loop-Porcelain Basin Shortcut Junction
Immediately after turning left when coming from Back Basin, the Porcelain Basin Loop splits again, this time with the Porcelain Basin Shortcut Trail.
Now, whether you are coming from the museum or Back Basin, I don’t believe it makes much sense to utilize the shortcut here because you will hardly see Porcelain Basin by skipping the longer loop to the left.
Instead, I recommend going left toward Crackling Lake, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful features along the entire 0.7-mile (1.1 km) loop.
At the bottom of the stairs, the Porcelain Basin Loop remains mostly flat until it reaches Scummy Pool, near the Lower Shortcut junction on the other side.
Crackling Lake
When the sun is shining in the early morning, Crackling Lake is arguably the most beautiful thermal feature in the Porcelain Basin—or at least, in my opinion!
This is the far northern end of the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail.
This is where the Porcelain Basin Loop turns to the south toward the Norris Geyser Basin Museum.
That said, the Porcelain Basin 'half' of the hike is noticeably shorter than Back Basin, which is why I like to say that, if nothing else, at least come to hike the short 0.7-mile (1.1 km) Porcelain Basin side of Norris.
Lower Porcelain Basin Loop-Porcelain Basin Shortcut Junction
After about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the beginning of the Porcelain Basin Loop, the trail meets the Lower Shortcut junction.
This is the difference between hiking the full Porcelain Basin Loop Trail to the left or returning to the Norris Museum early by going straight.
Personally, I recommend going left, both because of the beautiful views of the Colloidal Pool shortly ahead and because completing the full loop is only 0.3 miles (0.5 km) longer.
Regarding my thoughts above, I chose to go left to continue hiking around the full Porcelain Basin Loop Trail.
Colloidal Pool
Next to Crackling Lake, the Colloidal Pool is easily one of the most beautiful thermal features in the Porcelain Basin!
Porcelain Basin Loop-Norris Campground Junction
This split is the final junction before the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail returns to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum.
Once here, go right to stay on the official Norris Geyser Basin Trail to return to the museum, but I recommend going straight first, as there is a beautiful overlook above Porcelain Springs where the boardwalk ends, just a few steps ahead.
This is the Norris Campground Trail heading away from the loop toward the overlook above Porcelain Springs.
This is the end of the boardwalk, the overlook above Porcelain Springs, and where the Norris Campground Trail leaves the business of both basins as it makes its way north.
This is where the Porcelain Basin Loop continues back to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away from the Norris Campground junction shown above.
Upper Porcelain Basin-Norris Geyser Basin Museum Junction
After about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the beginning of the Porcelain Basin Loop at the Lower Museum Junction, the trail finally returns to the path that begins below the museum itself.
At this final junction, go left to return to the museum, just a few steps up the hill, and the trailhead about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) thereafter.
Norris Geyser Basin Museum
This is where the Porcelain Basin Loop Trail returns to the Norris Geyser Basin Museum.
If you started early in the morning, which is what I recommend to avoid the crowds, the museum and the bookstore should be open after hiking through both basins!
East Back Basin Loop-Back Basin Shortcut Junction
This is the start of the short, 0.2-mile (0.3 km) Back Basin Shortcut that connects the east and west sides of the longer loop.
Veteran Geyser
Contrary to what Veteran Geyser’s name might suggest, there is no historical record indicating that it was named in honor of U.S. military veterans.
As a veteran myself, I’d like to pretend otherwise, but according to Janet Chapple’s guidebook, Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park, the strongest evidence suggests that the name instead refers to the geyser’s old, heavily developed sinter deposits.
Corporal Geyser
The same is true of the name "Corporal Geyser." There is no strong evidence suggesting that the name was intended to honor U.S. military veterans.
However, Corporal Geyser was named in 1889, after the nearby Veteran Geyser, and the very limited historical record suggests that the name may simply have extended the military-sounding theme once the word "Veteran" was already in use.
West Back Basin Loop-Back Basin Shortcut Junction
This is where the short 0.2-mile (0.3 km) shortcut meets the west side of the Back Basin Loop Trail, which is also the start of the gradual ascent back to the Norris Geyser Museum and the beginning of the Porcelain Basin Loop.
That said, go right at this split to begin hiking up to either, about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away from this junction.
To skip back to this same junction shown previously, click here.
Old Faithful (Upper–Lower Geyser Basins)
Canyon Village
Maddison–Norris
Yellowstone Lake & East Entrance
Mammoth, Lamar Valley & Tower
