Boardwalks of Yellowstone

Best Places to See Yellowstone's Geysers & Hot Springs

brandon · Aug 1st, 2017

Sightseeing

Hiking

Hot Springs

Geysers

Yellowstone National Park

Walking

Yellowstone’s geysers and hot springs are what make the park so unique. There are 11 major boardwalks where you can see these wonders of nature up-close. Scroll down to see a list and map of the best trails to see geysers and hot springs. Click on a trail to see a list of the thermal features along each path.

The Boardwalks

Norris Geyser Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Canyon Village, WY

Upper Geyser Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

Midway Geyser Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

Black Sand Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

Mud Volcano Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Lake, WY

Fountain Paint Pots Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

Artist Paintpots Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Canyon Village, WY

Biscuit Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

Firehole Lake Drive

Road in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Old Faithful, WY

West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains near Grant Village, WY

Mammoth Terraces Trail

Interpretive Trail in Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountains in Mammoth, WY

Background

The massive magma chamber underneath the park superheats groundwater creating three main classes of thermal features:

Geysers:

A hydrothermal feature that periodically erupts sending steam and water into the air. One of the best places to see geysers is the Upper Geyser Basin Trail which is home to Old Faithful and numerous others.

Fumaroles:

A hydrothermal feature where all of the water gets converted to steam before it reaches the surface. One of the best places to see fumaroles is the Norris Geyser Basin Trail which is home to the Black Growler.

Hot Springs:

A hydrothermal feature consisting of a pool of water heated by the magma chamber. Some of the pools are exceptionally colorful due to the microorganisms thriving in the hot water. All of the boardwalks have great hot springs to check out.