Old Faithful

Watching the Old Faithful Geyser erupt is a Yellowstone National Park tradition and it was such unique thermal features that inspired the establishment of Yellowstone as the nation's first national park in 1872.

Old Faithful is one of nearly 500 geysers in Yellowstone and is one of six for which the park predicts eruptions.  The geyser has lived up to its name, only lengthening the time between eruptions by about 30 minutes in the last 30 years.

Behind the Old Faithful viewing area is a series of boardwalks that weave around the geyser and into the Upper Geyser Basin, which is packed with other [smaller] geysers and geothermal features.

Passing by Old Faithful (before eruption)

Continuing past Old Faithful

Into Upper Geyser Basin

Hydrothermal features can be grouped into two general categories:  those with limited water (mudpots, as we saw in the previous blog) and those with a lot of water (hot springs and geysers).  After visiting the mudpots yesterday, we now proceed to the land of geysers.

Anemone Geyser

Field of geysers

Here are a few more of the geysers and other geothermal features we meet on our walk through Upper Geyser Basin behind Old Faithful.

Beehive Geyser

Heart Spring

Lion Geyser

North Goggles Geyser

Ear Spring

Beach Spring

Doublet Pool

Sponge Geyser

Pump Geyser

Infant Geyser

In addition to the beauty of the Upper Geyser Basin, we're here for Old Faithful and we return to the viewing area just before the next eruption.

Old Faithful getting started

Old Faithful (right on time)

The Old Faithful location in the park is not just about Old Faithful, but also other small geysers and hydrothermal pools of the Uper Geyser Basin with all its geothermal features and we appreciate and enjoy both.