It’s hard to imagine how any work could have been accomplished with snow and ice blanketing the region, but the historic Old Faithful Inn was constructed over one winter in 1903. It is a massive log structure, with an open-beam lobby, and rock fireplace. Room rates start at $300/ night.

On to nature…

In the early morning, the steam from the geysers can be seen from far away. It appears like there are dozens of camp fires that are on the verge of burning out.

Beehive Geyser is magnificent. Eruptions usually occur twice each day with displays lasting 4 – 5 minutes. During an eruption, the narrow cone acts like a nozzle, projecting the water column to heights of 130 – 190 ft. The higher the sediment build up around the geyser, the older it is.

Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in the park. Its average interval between eruptions varies from 60 – 110 minutes. An eruption lasts 1 1/2 to 5 minutes, expels 3,700 – 8,400 gallons of boiling water, and reaches heights of 106 – 184 feet. It was named for its consistent performance by members of the Washburn Expedition in 1870. Its average interval has lengthened through the years (due to earthquakes and vandalism). The crowds to see Old Faithful are thick. Jockeying for bench seating near the front is common. We went around the side to avoid the chaos and were able to get an unobstructed view. You can see Old Faithful Inn in the background.

Castle Geyser has the largest cone and may be the oldest of all geysers in the basin. Its eruption pattern has changed considerably throughout its recorded history. Castle is currently erupting about every 10 – 12 hours. A water eruption frequently reaches 90 feet and lasts about 20 minutes. The water phase is followed by a noisy steam phase lasting 30 – 40 minutes.

Truly deserving its name, Beauty Pool is noted for its rich, blue water framed by rainbow-colored bacteria.

Grotto Geyser erupts about every eight hours. It splashes to a height of 10 feet for 1 1/2 to more than 10 hours. The weirdly shaped cone, that gives this geyser its name, may have resulted from geyserite covering the trunks of trees that once grew there.

Giant Geyser was dormant for many years after the energy shift in 1955. Since then, it has slowly become active again. This spectacular geyser’s eruptions last about an hour and can reach heights of 180 – 250 feet. During eruptions small geysers (Bijou, Catfish, & Mastiff) nearby may also erupt.

Crested pool is 42 feet deep and is constantly superheated. At times the temperature drops to a mere simmer but it occasionally comes to a full rolling boil as well. When boiling violently the water may dome to heights of 8 – 10 feet.

Long a favored destination for park visitors, Morning Glory Pool was named in the 1880s for its remarkable likeness to its namesake flower. However, this beautiful pool has fallen victim to vandalism. People have thrown literally tons of coins, trash, rocks, and logs into the pool. Much of the debris subsequently became embedded in the sides and vent of the spring, affecting water circulation and accelerating the loss of thermal energy. Through the years Morning Glory’s appearance has changed as its temperature dropped. Orange and yellow bacteria that formerly colored only the periphery of the spring now spread toward its center.

An eruption of Grand Geyser, the tallest predictable geyser in the world, occurs every 7 – 15 hours. A classic fountain geyser, Grand erupts from a large pool with powerful bursts rather than a steady column like Old Faithful. An average eruption lasts 9 – 12 minutes and consists of 1 – 4 bursts, sometimes reaching 200 feet. With Grand Geysers eruption you also view the nearby Vent and Turban Geysers. Grand was by far more spectacular than Old Faithful. For that reason we included the video of Grand in lieu of Old Faithful. (Thanks Bill for the background music.)