The centerpiece and crown jewel of Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful is by far the most visited single attraction in the park. Innumerable other hydrothermal features dot the Upper Geyser Basin too, from fumaroles to hot springs, many of which are visible from trails and boardwalks.
Old Faithful, however, is the star of the show, drawing in thousands of visitors every day in summer.
It’s hard to overstate how popular this area is—and it’s popular for good reason: seeing Old Faithful erupt is one of the quintessential national park experiences in America.
In fact, “it was the unique thermal features like Old Faithful Geyser that inspired the establishment of Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872,” the National Park Service says.
In other words, without Old Faithful and the other geysers and hot springs, there may not even have been a Yellowstone National Park.
This is all to say that, when visiting Yellowstone for the first time, it would be an abomination to skip Old Faithful. It’s a must-visit place, if ever there was one.
So, if you are planning a trip to the Upper Geyser Basin, you’ll find many amazing things to do at Old Faithful below, as well as some activities in its general vicinity.
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11 Top Things to Do At and Near Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park
From visiting historic architecture to watching geyser eruptions and exploring hiking trails, there’s plenty to see and do at Old Faithful. Much more, in fact, than you could possibly do in just a couple of hours (which is the time most people spend here).
Therefore, I highly recommend staying at Old Faithful for a few days—see below for accommodation options—and allowing yourself significantly more time to really experience this world-famous place.
Check out the top things to do at and near Old Faithful below, followed by some wildlife safety tips and information on where to stay.
Additionally, at the very end of this blog post, you can find some Yellowstone book recommendations, as well as several frequently asked questions related to visiting Old Faithful.
6 Best Things to Do At Old Faithful, Yellowstone
Let’s start with the top activities at Old Faithful, the busiest area in all of Yellowstone National Park.
There’s plenty to see, do and experience here, including geyser eruptions, fantastic hikes, beautiful hot springs, and amazing architecture.
Visit the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center
Before doing anything else, I suggest going to the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center. This is the main visitor center in the area, a huge facility featuring exhibits, a park store, information desks, ranger programs, and restrooms.
One of the many buildings around the famous geyser, it’s located right behind the main boardwalk and Old Faithful viewing area.
Its exhibits cover the fascinating hydrothermal features of Yellowstone, the things that live in these extreme environments, the gigantic volcano beneath the park, as well as ongoing scientific research.
Families with children will want to visit the Young Scientist exhibit room, where they can experience hands-on exhibits and see a remarkable geyser model.
Additionally, this is also the best place to find eruption prediction times for Old Faithful and the four other Upper Geyser Basin geysers that are predicted regularly by park staff.
Moreover, the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center is one of the most modern facilities at Old Faithful. Built specifically to limit its impact on the natural surroundings, it’s also an LEED-certified building.
Explore the Historic Old Faithful Inn
Arguably the most impressive lodge in the entire national park system, the Old Faithful Inn is the prime example of “parkitecture” and one of the absolute greatest national park lodges.
Although not a natural sight, it’s still, unquestionably, among the top attractions at Old Faithful.
One of the last remaining log hotels in America, this rustic lodge is an absolute must see in Yellowstone National Park.
It was constructed during the winter of 1903-1904 and features a steep roof, five-story-high lobby, gigantic stone fireplace, stunning wooden decorations and furnishings, and beautiful gabled dormers.
It is a spectacular building, which greatly influenced park architecture later on. Nowadays, you can still stay at the Old Faithful Inn, which is certainly one of the very best national park experiences in the country.
Alternatively, you can find cheaper accommodation options nearby at the cabins of Old Faithful Lodge.
Even if you’re not staying at the Old Faithful Inn, you can walk in and admire its breathtaking interior. Just seeing the inn’s massive ceiling, exposed log architecture, huge fireplace, and log staircase is one of the greatest things to do at Old Faithful.
Watch Old Faithful Geyser Erupt
The world’s most famous geyser doesn’t need an introduction. As the most-visited attraction in Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful draws in enormous daytime crowds in the summer season.
Although this is neither the largest nor the most frequently erupting geyser in Yellowstone, it does erupt at relatively predictable intervals.
Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes or so, give or take 10 minutes, with bursts of steaming water shooting up to 185 feet into the sky.
Watching Old Faithful erupt is absolutely one of the top experiences in Yellowstone National Park, but I’d highly recommend avoiding the area in the middle of the day. It gets extremely, almost annoyingly, busy there.
Instead, get up early to enjoy an Old Faithful eruption around sunrise. Even if you’re not completely by yourself, there’ll only be a few other people around that early in the day.
From personal experience, I can say that viewing a sunrise eruption all by yourself is unforgettable.
Remember that this celebrity geyser erupts several times a day. You really don’t need to watch it at, say, 2 pm surrounded by a thousand—literally—other people.
Do yourself a favor and enjoy Old Faithful at sunrise, before the crowds wake up or arrive.
Hike Around the Upper Geyser Basin
While Old Faithful is the undisputed star of the show, the Upper Geyser Basin is also home to numerous other hydrothermal features, including countless geysers.
In fact, this relatively small area encompasses the largest concentration of geysers in the entire world. Let’s put that in actual numbers, shall we? In this one-square-mile area, there are no fewer than 150 geysers.
Of those 150+ geysers, only five are predicted regularly, though. They are the following:
- Old Faithful Geyser
- Castle Geyser
- Grand Geyser
- Daisy Geyser
- Riverside Geyser
Check the National Park Service website for geyser eruption predictions in the Upper Geyser Basin.
Other geysers that erupt fairly regularly, although cannot reliably be predicted, include the remarkable Grotto Geyser and popular Beehive Geyser.
Photo 2: Riverside Geyser eruption
Photo 3: Beehive Geyser eruption
To watch all major geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin erupt, you’ll need to spend at least two days at Old Faithful. However, you could see them all, erupting or not, on a delightful loop hike that only takes a couple of hours.
The hike I suggest is a circuit that starts at Old Faithful and runs to the mesmerizing Morning Glory Pool before looping back around. It’s a loop hike that’s approximately 3 miles long.
This hike takes you along both geyser-lined banks of the Firehole River, allowing you to see literally dozens of hydrothermal features, including the famous geysers, but also colorful hot springs and fumaroles.
This is without question one of the essential spring hikes in Yellowstone National Park, taking you from the park’s most famous attraction to a kaleidoscopic collection of other hydrothermal features.
It’s a phenomenal hike, which I recommend doing as early in the morning as possible for maximum solitude, tranquility, and enjoyability. (Once again, it gets very busy here from mid-morning through dinner time.)
Find Your Favorite View of Old Faithful
You can watch Old Faithful erupt from the boardwalk benches surrounding the geyser, but also with a drink—whether it’s a coffee or cocktail—in your hand from the sundeck at the Old Faithful Inn.
I personally also really enjoy watching Old Faithful eruptions from the opposite side of the crowded boardwalk.
You can walk all the way around the geyser, and it’s much quieter on the other side. (The vast majority of people sit on the viewing benches in front of the Old Faithful Inn, Lodge, and Visitor Education Center.)
For a panoramic view of Old Faithful, on the other hand, take a hike on the Observation Point Trail.
This hike begins on the Old Faithful boardwalk, which you’ll follow in a counterclockwise direction until you get to the sign for Geyser Hill.
Turn right and continue down the pathway. The start of the Observation Point Trail is just beyond the bridge across the Firehole River.
You’ll then climb a number of switchbacks through the forest to an overlook that offers a sweeping view of much of the Upper Geyser Basin. It’s 0.8 miles one way. Retrace your steps down the trail for a 1.6-mile roundtrip hike at Old Faithful.
To summarize, these are the best places to see Old Faithful erupt:
- Benches on the boardwalk near the Old Faithful Inn, Lodge, and Visitor Education Center
- Opposite side from the boardwalk benches
- Old Faithful Inn sundeck
- Observation Point
Find Your Favorite Hot Spring
Photo 2: Blue Star Spring (Upper Geyser Basin)
Besides the famous geysers, there are, as I said above, also many hot springs in the area.
In fact, although the geysers are arguably Yellowstone’s most famous hydrothermal features, it’s actually the hot springs that are more numerous.
Walking around the Upper Geyser Basin and admiring the vibrant colors of the hot springs is one of the most fun activities at Old Faithful. You can see many of them on the loop hike through the basin I described above.
Here’s a list of my favorite hot springs at Old Faithful and in its general vicinity:
- Morning Glory Pool (Upper Geyser Basin)
- Crested Pool (Upper Geyser Basin)
- Punch Bowl Spring (Upper Geyser Basin)
- Beauty Pool (Upper Geyser Basin)
- Blue Star Spring (Upper Geyser Basin)
- Emerald Pool (Black Sand Basin, just west of Upper Geyser Basin)
- Rainbow Pool (Black Sand Basin, just west of Upper Geyser Basin)
- Sapphire Pool (Biscuit Basin, just northwest of Upper Geyser Basin)
- Black Opal Pool (Biscuit Basin, just northwest of Upper Geyser Basin)
- Grand Prismatic Spring (Midway Geyser Basin)
- Rainbow Pool (Midway Geyser Basin)
Photo 2: Black Opal Pool (Biscuit Basin)
Why Are the Hot Springs So Colorful?
The water in a hot spring starts as precipitation, which slowly seeps through bedrock underneath Yellowstone.
After becoming superheated way down below the surface, it rises back up through an open plumbing system in the rocks. The water is continuously circulated through convention, which prevents it from erupting like a geyser.
Sometimes, however, a hot spring can actually shoot boiling water into the air, as Crested Pool does. Usually, hot springs are simply clear pools of scorching hot water, exhibiting all kinds of colors created by so-called thermophiles.
It’s those thermophiles, or heat-loving micro-organisms, that provide the vibrant colors Yellowstone’s hot springs are known for.
The colors you see are actually the micro-organisms themselves—trillions of them, grouped so close together they look like colored rocks.
Each temperature in the hot springs has its own set of micro-organisms, responsible for a specific color. This is why many hot springs at Old Faithful and elsewhere in Yellowstone National Park have those remarkable bands of color that radiate out from the center.
5 Best Things to Do Near Old Faithful, Yellowstone
When you’re done exploring the main Upper Geyser Basin, there are several other places you might want to visit near Old Faithful.
In the general Old Faithful area, all within a 15-minute drive, you can also see waterfalls, walk around even more hot springs, and see famous Yellowstone wildlife.
See the Kepler Cascades
Situated 2.6 miles from the Old Faithful area, Kepler Cascades is a photogenic waterfall in the Firehole River. The cascades drop about 150 feet, the biggest drop being 50 feet.
There is a nice viewpoint of Kepler Cascades on the road from Old Faithful to West Thumb. Make sure to stop there. It’s a beautiful view, which, according to one member of the 1871 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, would be revered in the East:
“These pretty little falls, if located on an eastern stream, would be celebrated in history and song; here, amid objects so grand as to strain conception and stagger belief, they were passed without a halt.” – Gustavus C. Doane
Kepler Cascades is one of several roadside waterfalls in Yellowstone, and the nearest one to Old Faithful.
Bike to Lone Star Geyser
The Lone Star Geyser is the main feature of a backcountry geyser basin to the southeast of Old Faithful.
Also a relatively predictable geyser—although it’s not officially predicted by park staff—Lone Star Geyser erupts roughly every three hours, its 12-foot cone shooting water up to 45 feet into the air.
You can get to Lone Star Geyser via an easy paved trail, which is open to hikers and cyclists alike. I recommend renting bikes at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge for a different experience in the Old Faithful area.
The roundtrip bike ride from the lodge to Lone Star Geyser is approximately 9 miles. From the trailhead just past the Kepler Cascades parking lot, it’s a 4.8-mile out-and-back bike ride (or hike).
Stroll Around the Black Sand and Biscuit Basins
Even though they’re technically a part of the Upper Geyser Basin, the Black Sand and Biscuit Basins are a bit further from Old Faithful.
It is possible to walk to Black Sand Basin from Old Faithful (a 4-mile roundtrip hike) or you can drive about 1.6 miles to the parking area. This beautiful geyser basin gets its name from sand derived from obsidian, a black volcanic glass, and is home to some of Yellowstone National Park’s most beautiful hot springs.
A short boardwalk loops around Black Sand Basin, passing stunning springs like Emerald Pool, Sunset Lake, and Rainbow Pool on the way. One of the park’s most frequently erupting geysers, Cliff Geyser, goes off every few minutes.
Biscuit Basin, on the other hand, is about 3 miles north of Old Faithful by car. You can also get there on foot by continuing past Morning Glory Pool, which is a 5.2-mile roundtrip hike from Old Faithful.
At Biscuit Basin, yet another boardwalk brings you close to a number of geysers and hot springs, most notably Sapphire Pool and Black Opal Pool.
The presence of these relatively less-known and smaller basins, which are no less beautiful, is one of the reasons I recommend spending a few days in the Old Faithful area. They’re wonderful little gems you might miss or skip on a rushed visit to Old Faithful.
Watch Wildlife Along the Firehole River
The hydrothermal basins at and around Old Faithful, which are bisected by the Firehole River, are a critical overwintering habitat for bison and elk.
Both animals live in the area all year. In winter, they come here for the thin—if any—snow cover, warm ground, and access to vegetation.
In spring, on the other hand, the bison and elk that didn’t survive winter, known as winter-kill, attract black and grizzly bears to the Old Faithful area.
Especially the Midway and Lower Geyser Basins, a few miles north, are home to many bears in spring. Therefore, (parts of) this area may be closed for bear management in spring.
Old Faithful, however, is always open to visitors. For the best wildlife viewing opportunities, pick a spot away from the crowds—Black Sand, Biscuit, and Midway Geyser Basins in the morning are all a good choice.
Look for a variety of birds in, along, and above the Firehole River. I’ve seen great blue herons, hawks, and ospreys here.
Bison are also common sights throughout the year in the general Old Faithful area, while the occasional grizzly bear (with or without cubs) might wander across the geyser basin from spring through fall.
See the Famous Grand Prismatic Spring
One of the most popular places to visit in Yellowstone is Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin.
The third-largest hot spring on Earth, this giant pool of steaming water has a diameter of 370 feet and is 121 feet deep. It’s a marvelous natural wonder and among the top attractions near Old Faithful.
A boardwalk runs past Grand Prismatic Spring, offering close-up views of its vibrant colors, which radiate out in concentric circles from its stunningly blue depths.
Each color corresponds with a certain water temperature, which supports different bacterial life, the so-called thermophiles.
The Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk also loops along the crater of Excelsior Geyser. Although this is a dormant geyser, it’s still an exceptionally active hot spring, discharging over 4,000 gallons of hot water into the Firehole River every single minute.
Additionally, for a bird’s eye view of the spectacular Grand Prismatic Spring, you can hike the 1.2-mile roundtrip Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail to a fantastic viewpoint.
Note, however, that this trail is not open in spring, when it’s off limits to visitors due to grizzly bear activity.
Wildlife Safety At and Around Old Faithful
In the spirit of “better safe than sorry,” this section serves as a caution and warning. People do get chased, trapped, and/or injured by animals at Old Faithful every year.
The vast majority of incidents with wildlife involve bison, which are especially dangerous during the spring calving season and the fall rut.
Both black bears and grizzly bears are also present in the area and potentially dangerous, although serious encounters are rare. For that reason, you should always carry bear spray when out and about in Yellowstone. Learn how to use bear spray correctly here.
It’s essential to be aware of your surroundings and animal activity anywhere in Yellowstone National Park, even, or especially, in crowded areas like Old Faithful.
Refer to the following wildlife safety guides to ensure your visit to Old Faithful remains safe and enjoyable for all parties involved, including the animals.
Where to Stay At Old Faithful, Yellowstone
Perhaps surprisingly, there are no campgrounds in the Old Faithful area. The nearest campgrounds are in Norris and in Grant Village.
There are, however, three different lodging facilities at Old Faithful, all within easy walking distance from the geyser itself, as well as walking trails.
Old Faithful Inn
The iconic Old Faithful Inn is the oldest accommodation at Old Faithful and “the most requested lodging facility in the park,” according to Yellowstone National Park Lodges, the park’s main accommodation concessioner.
Built in 1903-1904 with local stone and logs, it’s one of the most famous examples of the “National Park Service rustic” architectural style. It is easily one of the grandest lodges in the National Park System.
There are a variety of rooms available, from standard rooms and Old House rooms to Geyser Basin view suites and deluxe hotel rooms. The inn also has a pretty amazing dining room, as well as a deli.
Staying at the Old Faithful Inn is an unforgettable national park experience, but getting a reservation can be a challenge.
See Old Faithful Inn rates and availability here.
Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
For simpler, and usually cheaper, accommodation at Old Faithful, check out the cabins at Old Faithful Lodge. These cabins, which are scattered behind the one-story main lodge building, are just a short walk from the Old Faithful boardwalk.
Cabins are available with or without bathroom, but all have a sink, fan, alarm clock, and a variety of bed configurations. (People staying in a cabin without bath can use the communal bathrooms and showers.)
Also note that these cabins are, indeed, quite basic and don’t come with WiFi, a TV, phone, or air-conditioning.
I’ve spend several nights in a cabins at Old Faithful Lodge and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. I particularly enjoyed how quiet it was from dusk to mid-morning, while the view of the Firehole River meandering behind the cabins was delightful.
See Old Faithful Lodge Cabins rates and availability here.
Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins
Completed in 1999, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins are the newest lodging option in the Old Faithful area. You can choose from either hotel rooms or cabins.
This lodge also features the iconic “parkitecture” style and has many facilities and amenities, including a quick-service grill and a full restaurant.
As its name suggests, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins are also open in winter, unlike the other accommodations at Old Faithful, which are only open from early-May to early-October. Its Bear Den Ski Shop rents out snowshoes and cross-country skis, while tours and lessons are offered as well.
This is the winter basecamp of Old Faithful, the starting point for over-snow winter trips to other places in the park, such as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Firehole Canyon, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
And “if that’s not enough,” Yellowstone National Park Lodges says, “an outdoor skating rink with free skate rentals is just outside the lobby.”
See Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins rates and availability here.
10 Books to Read Before Your Visit to Yellowstone
- Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone – George Black
- Deep Into Yellowstone: A Year’s Immersion in Grandeur & Controversy – Rick Lamplugh
- Yellowstone Ranger: Stories from a Life in Yellowstone – Jerry Mernin
- Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone – Douglas Smith & Gary Ferguson
- The Reign of Wolf 21: The Saga of Yellowstone’s Legendary Druid Pack – Rick McIntyre
- Wild Rescues: A Paramedic’s Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Teton – Kevin Grange
- Bring Jade Home: The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone and the People Who Searched for Her – Michelle Caffrey
- Taken by Bear in Yellowstone: More Than a Century of Harrowing Encounters between Grizzlies and Humans – Kathleen Snow
- Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park – Lee H. Whittlesey
- Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (Full-Color Travel Guide) – Fodor’s Compass Guides
Visiting Old Faithful FAQs
Where Is Old Faithful?
Old Faithful is situated in the southwest of Yellowstone National Park. The Lower Loop, a scenic drive through the heart of the park, is shaped somewhat like a hexagon, and Old Faithful sits in its bottom left corner.
The Upper Geyser Basin is 30 miles from the West Entrance in West Yellowstone. From the South Entrance, which is the access point for people coming from Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, it’s 39 miles to the Upper Geyser Basin.
How Many Days Do I Need to Explore Old Faithful?
While you can visit the area and see Old Faithful erupt in literally less than an hour (if you time your visit around eruption times), I do not recommend doing that.
Instead, I’d suggest spending two full days at Old Faithful, including two nights at one of the lodges. This allows you to see several of the geysers erupt, hike a couple of longer trails, and see some sights in the area, such as Kepler Cascades, Black Sand and Biscuit Basins, and Grand Prismatic Spring.
Spending a night or two at Old Faithful also gives you the opportunity to enjoy sunrise and/or sunset geyser eruptions, an extraordinary experience.
Is Old Faithful Open Year-Round?
Yes, Old Faithful is open to visitors year-round.
However, the roads that lead to Old Faithful are open to vehicles only from approximately mid-April to mid-November, depending on weather conditions.
So, if you’re traveling with a personal vehicle—whether it’s a car, motorcycle, RV, or something else—mid-spring to mid-fall is the only period this area is accessible.
In winter, you can get to Old Faithful with commercial snowmobiles and snowcoaches, which can travel in deep snow and take visitors to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.
See the operating hours and seasons for all facilities, services, campgrounds, and lodges in Yellowstone here on the park’s website.
What Is the Best Time of Day to See Old Faithful Erupt?
Old Faithful isn’t actually as “faithful” as its name implies. There are other geysers in Yellowstone that erupt much more reliably.
Currently, the geyser erupts in intervals that range from 79 to 109 minutes. Eruptions last between 1.5 and 5 minutes.
This all being said, I’d argue that the best time to watch Old Faithful erupt is at dawn. Few things compare to seeing this world-renowned geyser blow up, while the sun rises behind it and almost no other people are around.
A good alternative is around sunset, when many of the tour buses and day visitors will have left.
How Long Is the Walk Around Old Faithful?
The Old Faithful Geyser Loop Trail is a super-popular hike around Old Faithful. Easy and short, it’s only 0.7 miles long. It consists of sections of pavement and boardwalks, offering a view of the world’s most famous geyser from every angle.
How to Avoid the Crowds At Old Faithful?
There are basically two ways to avoid the sometimes insanely huge crowds at Old Faithful:
- Stay at one of the lodges and visit Old Faithful at dawn, when the day visitors haven’t arrived yet; or
- Visit Old Faithful in the off season, which includes the least-crowded winter season, but also mid-spring and fall. (I’ve visited Old Faithful in early-May and, while there were many other people there, it was nothing like the summer crowds.)
What Wildlife Can I See in the Old Faithful Area?
Although it can be extremely busy, Old Faithful is also a great place to see some of Yellowstone National Park’s famous wildlife.
In winter, the area’s numerous hydrothermal features provide bison and elk with “warm ground and thin snow cover,” the National Park Service says.
In spring and early-summer, lucky visitors may see black bears and grizzly bears who come to feed on winter-kill and/or young calves.
Bison are also present in the area through spring and summer, while yellow-bellied marmots cherish the sunshine on the rocky slopes around the Upper Geyser Basin.
Also keep your eyes peeled for birds along the Firehole River. Some wading birds like great blue herons hunt for fish and insects in the river, while raptors like ospreys are often seen perched in trees before swooping down to catch fish.
Additionally, although they aren’t animals, also remember that there are trillions upon trillions of thermophiles in Yellowstone’s hot springs. These are, after all, the microorganisms that give the hot springs their kaleidoscopic colors.
Do I Need a Reservation to Visit Old Faithful in Yellowstone?
No, you do not need a reservation to visit and see Old Faithful. That said, though, you do, most likely, need a reservation if you’d like to stay at one of the three lodging facilities.
As I mentioned several times before, this is a very popular area and the lodges are often fully booked many months in advance.
If you’re staying somewhere else, however, you’re totally fine—the only thing you need to do then is find a parking spot.
More About Yellowstone National Park
- Park Website
- Travel Guide
- Topographic Map
- Top Places to Visit in Yellowstone National Park
- Best Spring Hikes in Yellowstone
- Where to See Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park
- Best Places to See Wolves in Yellowstone
- Bear Hibernation in Yellowstone National Park
- Beautiful Roadside Waterfalls in Yellowstone
- Best Views in Yellowstone National Park
- Accommodation