Yellowstone has more thermal features—geysers, mud pots, hot springs, and steam vents—than the rest of the world combined. When you’re angling for a good shot of a colorful pool or a belching mud pot, obey the signs; otherwise, you could find yourself (quite literally) on shaky ground.
- Upper Geyser Basin: Home to the mega-famous Old Faithful Geyser as well as enough other thermal features to form the largest concentration of geysers in the world, Upper Geyser Basin is a can’t-miss destination. This is why you’re here, isn’t it?
- Norris Geyser Basin: The park’s oldest, hottest thermal area encompasses a dynamic collection of geysers, steaming hot springs, and hissing steam vents. Change is constant here, remaking this remarkable area year by year and day by day.
- The Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces: Here you can observe Mother Nature going about the business of mixing and matching heat, water, limestone, and rock fractures to sculpt the landscape. This is one of the most colorful areas in the park; its tapestries of orange, pink, yellow, green, and brown, formed by masses of bacteria and algae, seem to change colors before your eyes. The mineral-rich hot waters that flow to the surface here do so at an unusually constant rate, roughly 750,000 gallons per day.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
