Yellowstone National Park Geysers

Yellowstone is home to around 10,000 geothermal features and 500 of these are actually geysers. Yellowstone holds most of the world’s geo thermal energy. Most of the park sits in an old volcanic crater that was created thousands of years ago. There is still volcanic activity below the surface but most of the energy is released through the geysers and hot springs that are through out the park.



There are many different geysers in the park, but the most famous is Old Faithful. This geyser will erupt every 90 minutes though on occasion the time span can range from 45 to 125 minutes. There are benches set up for those who want to wait to watch the eruptions happen. This is the most popular because it is the most predictable and routinely erupts for spectators to see. Old Faithful can reach heights of around 100 ft during its eruptions. The eruptions can last from 1.5 to 5 minutes long.



The Steamboat geyser is located in the Norris geyser basin. This is the tallest recorded geyser in the world. The geyser reached a height of 300 ft during an eruption. This geyser does not erupt regularly. The last eruption was recorded in May of 2005 where it reached the 300ft that made it the tallest geyser. The eruptions from this geyser are not often seen by visiting tourist so if you are there to see one count yourself lucky. The last two recorded eruptions where in April 2003 and May 2005. As you can see don’t expect to drive by and get a peak at the tallest geyser in the world. As a matter of fact, the Steamboat geyser can be difficult to see if it is not erupting.



The Echinus is a geyser that is not far from the Steamboat that erupts more often though it is not on a regular schedule. When it does erupt, it will last any where from three to five minutes. This geyser will reach a height of around thirty feet.



There are approximately 23 different geysers that are visited the most in the park. Some of the geysers will erupt every three to four minutes while others only erupt every so many hours. Other features in the park that tourists often enjoy visiting are the hot springs. Some of them run into the near by rivers making the water very warm and attract some to go swimming in though this is not always recommended.