Yellowstone’s Most Astonishing Sights, from Trippy Geysers to a Boiling River

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone became America’s first national park in 1872, and its 2.2 million acres contain some of nature’s most remarkable sights. The park sits on top of an ancient super volcano and features everything from colorful hot springs to towering waterfalls and large herds of wild bison. Here are some of the most mind-boggling views waiting for you at Yellowstone National Park.

The Grand Prismatic Spring

This hot spring is the third largest in the world, measuring 370 feet across and 121 feet deep. Different types of heat-loving bacteria create its blue, green, yellow, and orange colors, while the spring releases 560 gallons of 160-degree water every minute.

The best view comes from an 80-foot-high platform on the Fairy Falls Trail. For the clearest photos, visit between 2 and 4 PM on sunny days when the sun’s position brings out the spring’s vibrant colors.

Old Faithful

Old Faithful has erupted more than a million times since the park opened, shooting 8,400 gallons of hot water up to 180 feet high. The eruptions happen every 90 minutes and last between 1.5 and 5 minutes, with most lasting about 3.5 minutes.

Park rangers can predict eruption times within 10 minutes, and visitors can check the schedule at the center or on the park’s app. The viewing area has 12 rows of benches that hold 900 people, and winter visitors might see ice crystals form rainbow patterns in the steam.

Mammoth Hot Springs

These white stone terraces cover 73 acres and look like frozen waterfalls made of marble. Hot water flows over the terraces at 500 gallons per minute, building new stone formations that grow 2-3 feet each year.

Visitors walk on 1.6 miles of boardwalks through the Upper and Lower Terraces. The best time to see these formations is at sunset between 7 and 8 PM in summer, when the setting sun turns the white stone pink and gold.

Lamar Valley

This 8-mile valley is often called America’s Serengeti because of its abundant wildlife. Large herds of bison, sometimes over 1,000 animals, share the grassland with pronghorn antelope, while wolf packs hunt in the area.

The wide-open landscape makes it easy to spot animals, especially in the early morning. For the best wildlife viewing, arrive at Slough Creek turnout by 5:30 AM, where you’ll often find dedicated wolf watchers with spotting scopes.

The Lower Falls of Yellowstone

Lower Falls drops 308 feet, twice as high as Niagara Falls, sending 63,500 gallons of water down every second. Visitors can see the waterfall from seven different viewpoints, but Artist Point, 700 feet above the canyon floor, provides the most complete view.

The surrounding canyon walls contain iron and sulfur, which create their yellow color. In winter, the spray from the falls freezes into ice columns that can reach 100 feet high.

The Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is the park’s hottest thermal area, where ground temperatures reach 459 degrees just 1,087 feet below the surface. This 1.25-square-mile area contains 193 geysers, hot pools, and steam vents spread across a landscape that looks like the moon.

The basin’s Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser, shooting water 300 feet high and steam up to 1,000 feet. A 2.9-mile trail leads to less-visited areas where you can see some of the world’s largest acidic hot springs.

Morning Glory

This hot spring was named after the morning glory flower because of its blue color, which has changed over time due to objects thrown into the pool. Though its original deep blue has shifted, the pool still displays striking colors that range from yellow-orange at the rim to deep blue in the center.

The one-mile walk to reach Morning Glory passes several other hot springs and geysers. During cooler mornings, the steam rising from the pool creates an ethereal scene against the surrounding forest.

The River Valley: Hayden

Ancient glaciers carved this broad valley where the Yellowstone River now creates wetlands that attract diverse wildlife. Grizzly bears dig for roots in spring, while large bison herds graze the grasslands throughout summer.

The road through the valley sits higher than the surrounding land, making it easy to spot animals. Marshy areas near the river draw waterfowl and wading birds, especially during migration seasons.

Black Sand Basin

This compact area gets its name from the dark volcanic sand that surrounds its hot springs. The main attraction, Emerald Pool, lives up to its name with water that glows a bright green due to the minerals and algae in it.

Cliff Geyser erupts frequently from the edge of Iron Creek, creating unique photo opportunities. The entire area can be explored in about 30 minutes on a quarter-mile boardwalk.

Mount Washburn

At 10,243 feet high, Mount Washburn offers views that stretch up to 50 miles on clear days. Two trails lead to the summit, where an active fire lookout tower serves as both shelter and education center.

Summer hikers see fields of wildflowers, and bighorn sheep often appear on the rocky slopes. Both trails are about 6 miles round trip and gain 1,400 feet in elevation.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This unique area sits right on Yellowstone Lake’s shore, where hot springs meet cold lake water. The Abyss Pool appears bottomless with its deep blue water, while the historic Fishing Cone tells stories of early visitors who cooked their catch in its boiling waters.

The flat, half-mile boardwalk provides easy access to all the features. Morning visits often offer the calmest conditions for seeing the reflections of steam and sky in the pools.

Fountain Paint Pot

This easily accessible area showcases four different types of thermal features: geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. The thick, bubbling mud creates constant motion and sounds as gases escape from below.

Spring brings more water to the mud pots, making them thinner and more active, while late summer’s heat thickens them. The short, quarter-mile boardwalk loop takes about 30 minutes to explore.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring

Water sloshes in and out of this cave-like spring, creating waves and a rhythmic roaring sound. Steam billowing from the cave opening completes the dragon-like effect, while the smell of sulfur adds to the otherworldly atmosphere.

The spring releases bursts of hot water every few minutes, accompanied by deep thumping sounds that echo off the cave walls. The nearby parking area and short walkway make this an easy stop for most visitors.

Firehole Lake Drive

This three-mile, one-way road offers close views of several impressive geysers without the crowds found at more popular sites. Great Fountain Geyser, the drive’s highlight, erupts every 9-15 hours, reaching heights of 220 feet.

Early morning visits often provide the best views as steam fills the air. The drive takes about 30 minutes to complete if you stop at all the major features.

Boiling River

At this unique location, hot spring water mixes with the cold Gardner River to create natural soaking pools. The temperature varies depending on the mixing of hot and cold water, but careful visitors can find comfortable spots to soak.

The area requires a short walk from the parking lot and closes during spring runoff for safety. Winter soaking is particularly memorable as snow covers the surrounding landscape.

Fairy Falls

This 200-foot waterfall creates a delicate cascade through a recovering forest of lodgepole pines. The relatively flat 5-mile round-trip trail also provides access to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook.

The forest around the falls shows remarkable regrowth since the 1988 fires, with young trees now standing tall. Winter transforms the falls into delicate ice formations, though access becomes more challenging.