- Lower Geyser Basin - Fountain Paint Pots
- Midway Geyser Basin - Grand Prismatic Spring
- Norris Geyser Basin
Fountain Paint Pot: From the West Entrance we went to Madison and then south towards Old Faithful. Several miles south on the right is the location of this geyser basin. The Fountain Paint Pot is composed of mud (clay and silica) and constantly bubbles (the Crow tribe used the mud to paint their tipis).
Clepsydra Geyser.
"Bobby Socks" trees: Lodgepole pine trees have been drowned in the super-heated water in geothermal areas. The silica has penetrated the trees and hardened the base of their trunks. These can be seen in many geyser areas in Yellowstone.
Midway Geyser Basin: This is located several miles south of Fountain Paint Pot. There three very large geothermal features here plus the flow of hot water into the Firehole River.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the third largest in the world (the other two are in New Zealand). It is 370' in diameter and an aerial view is the only way to fully appreciate its beauty. Here are a couple of photos we took today.
Google "grand prismatic spring" images for an aerial view of this hot spring.
Excelsior Geyser erupted 300' in the 1880s but is now dormant and considered a hot spring. The temperature is 199 degrees F and dimensions are 276' x 328'.
Turquoise Pool.
Run off into the Firehole River.
Norris Geyser Basin: This area is one of the hottest and most acidic of Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas. Many of the hot springs and fumaroles have temperatures above the boiling point. The area is constantly changing... Photo of small museum on geothermal features at this location.
Emerald Spring.
Steamboat Geyser is the world's tallest active geyser and water erupts more than 300' high, however the frequency varies between 4 days and 50 years. The last eruption was in July of 2013. It does eject water frequently of 10 to 40'.
Cistern Spring.
Echinus Geyser.
Puff 'n Stuff Geyser.
Blue Mud Steam Vent.
Porkchop Geyser.
Pearl Geyser.
Vixen Geyser.
Fearless Geyser.
Minute Geyser spouts only 1 to 3' above its crater, much less than over a hundred years ago. Visitors waiting for stagecoaches tossed coins and other objects into this geyser, effectively killing it.
The foresight of explorers in the 1870s who effectively campaigned to make Yellowstone our first national park have made this wonderland available for us to enjoy today. If you have the opportunity to visit Yellowstone, be sure to allow enough time to see these amazing hydrothermal features that are spread throughout a large portion of the park. They are amazing to behold (and smell!)
Admission to Yellowstone is $25/vehicle or annual passes are available for purchase. John's Senior Pass gets us in for free.
Website: www.nps.gov/yell
"Bobby Socks" trees: Lodgepole pine trees have been drowned in the super-heated water in geothermal areas. The silica has penetrated the trees and hardened the base of their trunks. These can be seen in many geyser areas in Yellowstone.
Midway Geyser Basin: This is located several miles south of Fountain Paint Pot. There three very large geothermal features here plus the flow of hot water into the Firehole River.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the third largest in the world (the other two are in New Zealand). It is 370' in diameter and an aerial view is the only way to fully appreciate its beauty. Here are a couple of photos we took today.
Google "grand prismatic spring" images for an aerial view of this hot spring.
Excelsior Geyser erupted 300' in the 1880s but is now dormant and considered a hot spring. The temperature is 199 degrees F and dimensions are 276' x 328'.
Run off into the Firehole River.
Norris Geyser Basin: This area is one of the hottest and most acidic of Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas. Many of the hot springs and fumaroles have temperatures above the boiling point. The area is constantly changing... Photo of small museum on geothermal features at this location.
Steamboat Geyser is the world's tallest active geyser and water erupts more than 300' high, however the frequency varies between 4 days and 50 years. The last eruption was in July of 2013. It does eject water frequently of 10 to 40'.
Minute Geyser spouts only 1 to 3' above its crater, much less than over a hundred years ago. Visitors waiting for stagecoaches tossed coins and other objects into this geyser, effectively killing it.
The foresight of explorers in the 1870s who effectively campaigned to make Yellowstone our first national park have made this wonderland available for us to enjoy today. If you have the opportunity to visit Yellowstone, be sure to allow enough time to see these amazing hydrothermal features that are spread throughout a large portion of the park. They are amazing to behold (and smell!)
Admission to Yellowstone is $25/vehicle or annual passes are available for purchase. John's Senior Pass gets us in for free.
Website: www.nps.gov/yell
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