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Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY

Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicFamily FavoriteOutdoor Adventure

Old Faithful

Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful area · Yellowstone National Park, WY

Why you should go…

Old Faithful is a cone geyser in Yellowstone's Upper Geyser Basin, named in 1870 by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition. Eruptions reach 106 to more than 180 feet and last 1.5 to 5 minutes, and rangers post the next predicted time at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center. Boardwalks lead on through a basin holding roughly 150 geysers within one square mile. Next door, the 1904 Old Faithful Inn has a 65-foot lobby ceiling and a massive rhyolite fireplace.

  • #geyser
  • #yellowstone
  • #national park
  • #boardwalk
  • #hot springs

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Old Faithful, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Grand Prismatic Spring

    $25–$50

    Follow the boardwalk past Yellowstone's largest hot spring, a deep blue pool ringed in orange and yellow.

    4.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

    Under $25

    Nonprofit wildlife park near Yellowstone's west entrance, home to rescued grizzly bears, gray wolves and other native species.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    History Buff

    Nez Perce National Historic Trail

    Free

    A 1,170-mile historic trail across five states retracing the Nez Perce people's 1877 flight from the U.S. Army.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Yellowstone Helicopters

    $50+

    Helicopter sightseeing flights from West Yellowstone Airport over Hebgen Lake, Two Top and Earthquake Country, from 20-minute hops to a 60-minute wilderness explorer.

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Yellowstone Lake

    $25–$50

    Look out over North America's largest high-elevation lake, with geysers on its shore at West Thumb and trout below Fishing Bridge.

    23 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Roosevelt Arch

    Free

    Walk or drive under the 52-foot basalt gateway that has marked Yellowstone's North Entrance since 1903.

    40 mi awayMore like this