What Is Old Faithful Yellowstone – One of the main attractions, if not the main attraction, of Yellowstone National Park is Old Faithful Geyser. Named by members of the 1870 Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful was once called the “Eternity Clock” because of the regularity of its eruptions. Since then, visitors have wanted to know, “How often does Old Faithful erupt?”
The timing of Old Faithful’s eruptions has always been a myth. It is not the largest or most common geyser in Yellowstone, but it erupts more often than any other large geyser. And as it sits alone on a cone and shoots water hundreds of feet into the air, it’s a spectacle that has drawn visitors since Yellowstone became a national park.
What Is Old Faithful Yellowstone
Despite the lack of regularity, park rangers and scientists have figured out how to create a fairly realistic Old Faithful plan. Each prediction depends on the length and amount of water from the last eruption, so they can only be predicted after the geyser has erupted. In other words, you can’t plan your Yellowstone vacation with old faithful times in mind.
Things To Do Near Old Faithful
Fortunately, there is so much to see and do in the Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin areas that you can keep yourself entertained while waiting for the Old Faithful to erupt.
According to the Yellowstone National Park website, old faithful eruptions occur about 17 times per day, and these eruptions can be predicted with a 90% confidence rate within 10 minutes of variation.
First, Old Faithful is a bimodal geyser—it has both long and short eruptions. Long bursts are 3.5 minutes or longer, and are more common than short bursts.
Top Tips For Visiting Yellowstone National Park (2022)
Secondly, the interval between eruptions can be 60-110 minutes. If Old Faithful geyser has a short eruption, rangers estimate the next one will be in 60 minutes (plus or minus 10 minutes). If Old Faithful has a long eruption, 90 minutes (plus or minus 10 minutes) will pass before the next eruption.
Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park is the world’s most famous geyser. A geyser is a hot spring where water occasionally boils, sending a tall column of water and steam into the air. How does Old Faithful break out? Learn more about how geysers work, including Old Faithful.
Explore Upper Geyser Basin with my wife in this video of her tour of Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin.
See Old Faithful Erupt And Visit The Old Faithful Inn
Old Faithful is located in Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It is on the south side of Grand Loop Road.
To learn more about Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park produced this video that answers the question “When will Old Faithful erupt?”
How loud does Old Faithful blast? It depends! Old faithful eruptions can range from 106-184 feet in height. The average is about 130 feet.
Old Faithful, Yellowstone Stock Photo. Image Of Heat
How long does an old faithful eruption last? Again, it depends. Old devotional activity can last 1.5-5 minutes. Unfortunately there is no old faithful geyser schedule, you can use forecasts and see. The Old Faithful webcam is a good alternative if you can’t be there in person.
How hot is Old Faithful Geyser? It’s hot enough that you won’t want to touch it! Old Faithful has been measured at 204 degrees Fahrenheit on vents and steam has been measured at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
How much water comes out of Old Faithful? Since the length of the blast is different, the amount of water is also different. The park service says the number ranges from 3,700 liters (1.5 minute short duration) to 8,400 liters (4.5 minute duration).
Visit Old Faithful In Winter
What is the state of the Old Faithful? Old Faithful is in Wyoming, as is most of Yellowstone National Park. There are three entrances to Yellowstone in Montana, and a small portion of the park is in Idaho.
Old Faithful Vulcan? No – Old Faithful is a geyser, but I can see where the “Old Faithful Volcano” rumor started. Yellowstone in general, and Old Faithful in particular, sits in the caldera of a dormant volcano. Notice I didn’t say “extinguished” volcano. There is almost constant seismic activity in Yellowstone, and the Yellowstone Super Volcano will probably erupt again one day, but not anytime soon. It’s the magma beneath the caldera that heats and powers the park’s thermal features, including Old Faithful.
Dr. Hessler answers common questions about Yellowstone Volcano, including its relationship to the park’s thermal characteristics and the likelihood of an eruption.
Things Not To Miss When Visiting Old Faithful, Yellowstone
Weather in Yellowstone varies dramatically throughout the year. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers can be hot or cool and rainy. Be prepared for all kinds of weather when you visit, even in summer. And since Old Faithful is at a higher elevation, wear sunscreen and a hat and drink more water than at lower elevations. The Park Service website has more information about year-round weather at Old Faithful.
The next time the Old Faithful erupts can be fun to predict yourself. Whether you’re standing at Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone or watching the Old Faithful camera from home to predict the famous geyser’s next eruption, follow these instructions and see how accurate your prediction is.
Old Faithful Geyser is a big draw for visitors to Yellowstone, but there is much more to see in the park. Here are ten of our favorite things to see in Yellowstone.
Mineralized Wood Samples Show Old Faithful Once Stopped Erupting For Several Decades
Check out my itineraries and guides to plan your trip. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to earn advertising fees for websites by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Read our full disclosure policy for more. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name “Yellowstone?” For many, this answer would be an old faithful one.
Old Faithful is one of the most popular attractions in Yellowstone National Park. If it’s your first time in Yellowstone, Old Faithful is probably at the top of your to-do list.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get the best experience… the time of the eruption, how to avoid the crowds, where to get the best views, and whether or not it’s worth it.
Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful is the world’s most famous geyser. For decades, this geyser has erupted with a very reliable schedule. So reliable, in fact, that you can get an estimated eruption time online to help you plan your visit.
Most of Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano. This supervolcano drives geothermal activity in the park, including regular eruptions of Old Faithfulness. In fact, Old Faithful sits right next to a giant magma pool. This magma chamber is massive, containing enough magma to fill the Grand Canyon 11 times over!
Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in Yellowstone. The largest geyser is the steam geyser at Norris Geyser Basin, but since it erupts less than 50 times a year, you’ll be very lucky to see this geyser in action.
Watch Old Faithful Erupt In 360 Degrees
Eruption of Old Faithfulness lasts from 1.5 to 5 minutes. During this time, the water reaches 106 to 184 feet (32 to 56 meters), with an average height of 130 feet. From 3700 to 8400 liters of water is ejected from the geyser.
Earlier visitors used to throw dirty clothes into the geyser. When Old Faithful erupted, it spat the clothes back, steam cleaning them. Woolen clothes disintegrated from the hot steam, but other fabrics fared much better.
Old Faithful erupts every 60 to 110 minutes, which is about 16 to 17 times a day. In rare cases, it can take up to two hours before the next eruption.
Yellowstone’s Old Faithful: 10 Tips To Have The Best Experience
There is a correlation between the time interval between outbreaks and the duration and extent of previous outbreaks. After a short eruption, there will be less time interval before the next eruption. After Old Faithful’s long eruption, expect to wait a little longer for the next eruption.
Old Faithful erupts on such a reliable basis that the National Park Service publishes predicted eruption times on their website. You can even download an app on your phone that will give you an estimated time.
Prediction times are also posted at the Old Faithful Visitor Center and at the Junior Ranger Station as you walk from the parking lot to Old Faithful.
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As you walk from the parking lot to Old Faithful, you’ll pass this ranger station and a post-eruption projection sign.
The boardwalk is the most popular place to watch Old Faithful erupt. The photo below was taken on an August afternoon, so you can imagine the popularity of Old Faithful.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Plan to get here at least 20-30 minutes early if you want to board.
Man Who Walked Near Boiling Hot Old Faithful Geyser Ticketed
With only a few people, it’s a great place to get away from the crowds and get a great view of the eruption.
There is one to get here
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