Upper Geyser Basin is one of the most popular areas in Yellowstone National Park, mostly because it is the home of Old Faithful; however, there are other reasons to visit this area of Yellowstone beyond Old Faithful. In this comprehensive travel guide to Upper Geyser Basin, I will give you all the information you need to know before visiting for the first time.
You will find tips on when to visit, how to plan your time around the Upper Geyser Basin, the geysers and hot spring pools worth seeing and how to make viewing Old Faithful special.
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Where Is Upper Geyser Basin
The Upper Geyser Basin is closest to the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It is still a bit of a drive from there, but that is to be expected anywhere in Yellowstone. It is a huge national park.
After you enter the park, you will drive to Madison where you will turn right. Halfway between Madison and West Thumb, you will find the Upper Geyser Basin.
There will be lots of signs to direct you. Just follow the ones towards Old Faithful. Old Faithful is in Upper Geyser Basin.
The parking lot is huge, so you won’t have trouble finding a spot. After parking your car, walk towards the Old Faithful Visitor Center. The first thing you will see is the famous Old Faithful geyser.
The rest of the trails that lead into the Upper Geyser Basin lead away from there.
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What Is So Special About Upper Geyser Basin?
There are many different geyser basins that are scattered around Yellowstone National Park. The map above shows you all of the geyser basin areas in Yellowstone National Park. Well at least all of them that I know of.
So, what makes Upper Geyser Basin the most popular to visit? Old Faithful is the first answer. As the most prominent feature of Upper Geyser Basin, everyone wants to see this trusty geyser erupt.
There is another reason that I too love Upper Geyser Basin. As fun as it is to see Old Faithful, it’s not my favorite one. It’s just consistent. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to so many other geysers and pretty hot spring pools.
As you wander the boardwalks, you will stumble upon a random geyser erupting out of nowhere. Also, did you know there are other geysers that erupt on fairly consistent schedules too? They aren’t as often as Old Faithful, so it takes a bit of planning to see them, but the thankfully the Yellowstone website keeps track of them.
What about The Other Geyser Basins?
Upper Geyser Basin is not the only area in Yellowstone to visit to see erupting geysers, bubbling mud pots and colorful hot spring pools. It’s just has a very high concentration in one area.
As you can see from the map above, the geothermal activity in Yellowstone National Park is concentrated on the west side of the park. The Caldera boundary is larger than that though. I’m not a scientist, but I would imagine that it shows up on the surface in these areas because the elevation is lower. You will find more mountains in the east side of Yellowstone.
The next most popular geyser basin to visit is the Midway Geyser Basin where you will see the largest hot spring, Grand Prismatic Spring. The geyser basin area is not the best one in Yellowstone, with only a few other pools and geysers, but Grand Prismatic makes it worth visiting.
This stunning hot spring pool is on every Yellowstone poster and is a must visit. You can get all the details on the best way to see Grand Prismatic here: Your Ultimate Guide To Visiting Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone National Park
The other spots on the map are smaller geyser basin areas that have beautiful hot springs and geysers too. Most of them are short stops along the Grand Loop road. Some that are worth stopping at are West Thumb Geyser Basin, Lower Geyser Basin, and Norris Geyser Basin, which is actually quite big too.
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Old Faithful
Old Faithful is probably the easiest place to visit in Yellowstone National Park. This area of the park is set up very nicely for visitors with a very large parking lot, well-thought-out entrance road, shops, lodging, restaurants, and a visitor center.
When you drive into the parking lot, you will want to park as far left as possible. This will put you closest to the visitor center and the trail leading up to Old Faithful.
Old Faithful Visitor Center
Whenever we visit Old Faithful, the first place we go is to the visitor center. Right in the center of the visitor center there is a sign that tells you the next possible eruption time for Old Faithful.
Pro Tip: If you are worried you are going to miss the next eruption when you first arrive, look towards the viewing platform as you are walking to the visitor center. If there’s a very large crowd, it most likely is estimated to erupt very soon.
If the time says it will be awhile, I would suggest exploring the Upper Geyser Basin area first.
If there is only a short time before the next Old Faithful eruption, I would do some exploring inside the visitor center. You will find an exhibit room, a gift shop, a help desk where you can ask the rangers questions and get more information on the geothermal activity happening in the Upper Geyser Basin area.
If you find yourself visiting during a rain shower, the visitor center has a nice little indoor seating area by the enormous window that faces Old Faithful. Watch the eruption from inside!
Where To Watch Old Faithful
Besides the indoor viewing area in the visitor center, there is a very clear area where you get the best view of Yellowstone. The benches set out on the walkway give you an uninterrupted view, but you will also be sharing that view with hundreds of people.
If you walk left, you can get away from the crowd a bit, but there is also a hill that gets in the way. Same for if you walk to the right. If you don’t mind a slight hill and would like to be away from people, walking to the sides isn’t so bad. Below is a picture of the view from the side.
I surprisingly haven’t done this, but there is also the Observation Point Trail where you can hike on switchbacks for about a half a mile to reach a lookout point and see Old Faithful from above. Might be worth the trek!
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Where To Stay In Old Faithful Village
There are 3 different lodges at Old Faithful. The Old Faithful Inn is the most iconic and beautiful of the three. Even if you don’t stay there, you should walk inside and admire all the details.
Old Faithful Lodge is a cluster of rustic cabins that are a great price for where they are located. This also means they are high in demand and hard to reserve.
The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is a newer hotel in the area.
If you don’t want to stay in a lodge in the Upper Geyser Basin area, there are many other options. West Yellowstone is the closest city to Upper Geyser Basin.
Find out where I recommend staying in Yellowstone here: Where To Stay In Yellowstone: Best Areas In And Nearby The Park
How To Plan Your Time In Upper Geyser Basin
For most areas in Yellowstone, you don’t really need to plan much of anything. Mostly, you park your car, hike a little ways, take a few photos and return to your car happy and excited. Then repeat.
Upper Geyser Basin can be treated this way too, but it is better with a little planning.
When To Go To The Upper Geyser Basin
Upper Geyser Basin is always busy, but mostly around Old Faithful. The crowds on the boardwalks are never intolerable because there is a lot of area to spread out and explore.
The best time to visit Upper Geyser Basin is in the morning or late afternoon when the crowds are thinnest; however, I find that unless you are staying in the area, you aren’t going to ever fully escape the crowds.
Ultimately, pick a time that works best for your itinerary or the weather that day.
The next step to planning when to go to the Upper Geyser Basin is to look at when the major geysers are erupting.
Note: The geyser times are approximate and can vary greatly.
You can find the times for the geysers that erupt on a semi-regular basis on Yellowstone’s website here. Check a day or two before your visit and plan which one you might be able to see.
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What Geysers To See At Upper Geyser Basin
There are many geysers and most won’t erupt for you. You will see Old Faithful, of course. It is always exploding. Besides that one, there are a few other ones you have a chance of seeing.
We’ve seen Riverside geyser, and we had the chance to see Grand Geyser, but missed out. It just never erupted. You win some. You lose some.
Riverside was the first geyser we witnessed that erupted for a long period of time. It can last about 20 minutes.
Other geysers that Yellowstone tracks besides Old Faithful are Castle, Grand, Daisy, Riverside and Great Fountain. If you can see any of these, they are worth it!
We have seen other smaller geysers that have erupted at random times in Upper Geyser Basin too. As you walk around the boardwalks, look for bubbling and spraying water. If it gets larger, wait and watch. These eruptions can’t be predicted, but hopefully you will get lucky.
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How Much Time Do You Need To Plan For The Upper Geyser Basin
I would set aside a half of a day for the Upper Geyser Basin if you are planning on hiking around to see the geysers, hot spring pools and going to the viewpoint.
In my opinion, the beauty of this area happens when you take it slow.
If you are limited on time, the Upper Geyser Basin trail loop takes between an hour and an hour and a half to walk. You will most likely have to stop and wait a little bit for Old Faithful at the very least, so setting aside a minimum of 2 hours is recommended.
Pro Tip: Did you bring your bike to Yellowstone? Bikes are allowed on the paved path bordering the geothermal area of the Upper Geyser Basin.
Another Tip: Don’t miss Morning Glory Pool and Heart Spring. Two of the most beautiful hot springs in the Upper Geyser Basin Area.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Upper Geyser Basin
Can You See Old Faithful From The Upper Geyser Basin?
How Long Does It Take To Walk The Upper Geyser Basin?
What To See In the Upper Geyser Basin?
Which Geyser Basin Is The Best In Yellowstone?
Final Thoughts From This Travel Guide To Upper Geyser Basin
I hope this complete travel guide to Upper Geyser Basin explains how special this area in Yellowstone can be, and the best ways to see the amazing geysers and hot spring pools there. We always enjoy visiting and have been many times. Don’t miss out on this special part of Yellowstone National Park.
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