Welcome to Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin, home to the largest collection of geysers in the world including Old Faithful. Here you will find a landscape filled with a wide array of unique hydrothermal features waiting to be photographed.
With all its geysers, pools and springs, I just had to write this “How to Photograph Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin” post that is packed full of helpful information. Not only does this article have photo tips for each of the major predictable geysers but also many other geysers, pools and springs you may wish to capture.
This is information I sure which I had decades ago when I first visited Yellowstone.
So if you are interested in photographing a land where jets of boiling water shoot into the sky while the ground bubbles beneath your feet, please keep reading. I am confident you won’t find this level of detail anywhere else on the internet.
I am going to begin this post by providing an overview of the basin and listing a few important facts. If you are familiar with the Upper Basin, please use the Table of Contents below to go directly to the Photography Section of this post.
Where is Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is in the northwest corner of Wyoming with portions of the park extending into Montana and Idaho.
Where is the Upper Geyser Basin?
Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin is located in the lower western part of the Park Loop Road.
About Yellowstone Upper Geyser Basin
Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin is about 2 square miles and as mentioned, contains the largest collection of geysers in the world. The basin houses many large geysers including the following geysers known as the predictable geysers: Old Faithful, Castle (not always predictable), Grand, Riverside, and Daisy. Other large geysers worth seeing if they are active include Giant Geyser and Giantess Geyser although they are rarely active.
Now take a minute to explore all the geyser locations by clicking around the map below.
Main Geyser Areas in the Upper Geyser Basin
The Upper Geyser Basin is very large with 100’s of hydrothermal features. Due to its size, I feel it is easier to photograph this basin if you break it into the following areas: Geyser Hill, Castle and Grand Geyser Area, Riverside and Morning Glory Area, and the Daisy Group.
Note: My breakdown is different from the following official National Park Service area breakdown: Old Faithful, Geyser Hill, Castle to Morning Glory, Black Sands, and Biscuit Basin.
Below is an interactive map showing my breakdown. Be sure to click into each area to view the areas thermal features.
Since Black Sands Basin and Biscuit Basin are further away and have their own parking lots, I wrote a separate guide linked below about photographing those basins. I also included Midway Geyser Basin in that guide.
Exploring the Upper Geyser Basin
Upper Geyser Basin Photography
The first thing I recommend photographers do is to become familiar with the basins top predictable geysers including their locations and eruption patterns. With that goal in mind, let’s take a look at the following geysers beginning with how to find their eruption schedules.
Geyser Eruption Schedule Info
Now let me share a brief overview of each of the Upper Basin’s major predictable geysers.
Note: I am beginning with Old Faithful but do not recommend you start photographing the basin at Old Faithful. Instead I recommend you prioritize you photography stops in a manner that helps you capture geysers that go off less frequently first if they are scheduled to erupt soon. You can always come back to Old Faithful.
Old Faithful Geyser
General Overview
Old Faithful Geyser is located steps from both the Old Faithful Inn and also the Old Faithful Lodge and only a short distance from the Visitor Center and Old Faithful East Parking Lot.
The geyser viewing area is handicapped accessible and has a large boardwalk circling a good portion of the geyser with many benches. Therefore, finding a place from which to view, not photograph, the geyser is not a problem.
However, because it is so accessible and predictable, it tends to be very crowded during the day and close to eruption times. Arriving at least 20 minutes before the next eruption will be essential to finding a good spot from which to photograph the geyser.
Eruption Height and Duration
Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes or about 20 times a day and shoots water an average of 130 feet although eruptions can vary from about 90 feet to 184 feet in the air and last anywhere from 1 1/2 minutes to 5 minutes.
In truth, it is not one of the most impressive geysers to see but can be photographed well with careful attention to composition.
Best Times To Photograph
The best times to photograph Old Faithful are in the early morning hours, late afternoon and also evening hours. Not only will you experience less people, but the lighting will really help differentiate the photo from all the millions of Old Faithful photos out there.
Old Faithful Photo Tips
Castle Geyser
General Overview
Castle Geyser, located on the Upper Basin boardwalk, is a great geyser to photograph due to its unique geyserite cone shape that looks like a castle. During eruptions, water can shoot up to 90 feet which is not as high as some geysers but its major eruptions are powerful and should not be missed.
Castle Geyser can be accessed either from the boardwalk from Old Faithful or by parking next to the gas station on the way to Old Faithful Inn and walking the trail across the street.
Castle Eruption Information
Castle has two different types of eruption; a major and a minor eruption. Castle’s eruption schedule is predictable only as long as the previous eruption was a major eruption.
If the last eruption was a major, then Castle should erupt about every 10-15 hours. Update– Currently intervals between major eruptions are averaging about 16 to 17 hours.
If the last eruption was a minor eruption, Castle Geyser eruptions will no longer be predictable until there is another major eruption.
Difference Between Major and Minor Eruption
–A major eruption shoots water up to 90 feet for about 20 minutes followed by steam for about 30 minutes.
–A minor eruption shoots only water with no steam and lasts for about 11 minutes and then abruptly stops.
Best Times To Photograph
The best time to photograph Castle Geyser is anytime you can capture a major eruption. Its fluctuation between major and minor eruptions tends to make it one of the least predictable of the Upper Basin predictable geysers.
However, the good thing about Castle Geyser is that if you are remotely close to the Geyser, you may have time to walk over and photograph it since it goes for about 20 minutes.
Castle Geyser Photo Tips
Examples of Different Ways to Photograph Castle Geyser
Castle Geyser photographed during a major eruption in a vertical composition that includes only a portion of its cone. The shot was taken in the morning hours standing way to the right of the benches.
Photo shot in the morning hours from the same location as above. However, this composition includes the massive cone and the surrounding landscape. Notice how small the same eruption looks in this photo compared to the vertical image above.
Here is an example of a minor eruption with the Old Faithful Inn in the background. Notice the difference in the cone shape from this angle.
Here are a few other facts about the Upper Geyser Basin that are helpful to know before heading out to photograph the basin.
Grand Geyser
General Overview
Grand Geyser is a fountain type geyser and my favorite geyser to photograph in all of Yellowstone. Not only does it have a powerful eruption but also has two other adjacent geysers that erupt at the same time. See an example in the photo below.
This is the tallest predictable geyser in the world but not the tallest active geyser in the world. The tallest active geyser honor goes to Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin.
Grand Geyer is located just a short and easy walk from both Old Faithful or Castle Geyser. It is located on a boardwalk with plenty of benches that fill up close to eruption times. You will need to arrive early if you wish to secure a good spot for photographing the geyser.
Eruption Height and Duration
Grand Geyser shoots water about 200 feet in the air from 9 to 12 minutes on average and erupts about every 7 hours although recently eruption intervals have been as long as 20 hours.
Best Times To Photograph
Early morning and late afternoon eruptions on days where the wind is light are my favorite times to photograph Grand Geyser. Due to its powerful eruption, windy days cause its massive water jet to become an indistinguishable blob.
Grand Geyser Photo Tips
Photo Examples of Grand Geyser
Visitor Services
Riverside Geyser
General Overview
Riverside Geyser is located on the bank of the Firehole River, hence its name. It is one of the Upper Basin large geysers farthest from Old Faithful and on the walk to the popular Morning Glory Pool.
Riverside Geyser is also one of the most regular geysers in the basin due to the fact it does not share its water source with other geysers. This predictability makes it easier to capture than a geyser like Castle.
Eruption Height and Duration
Riverside Geyser erupts to heights of about 75 feet, not that tall in comparison to some of the other geysers. However, it erupts at an angle over a river making it quite photogenic.
Riverside Geyser eruption for about 20 minutes and goes off roughly every 5 to 7 hours.
Best Times to Photograph
Late afternoons on mostly sunny days are the best times to photograph Riverside Geyser, both for great light on the geyser itself and also for increased chances of capturing a rainbow.
Also dusk is a good time to capture the eruption.
Riverside Geyser Photo Tips
Riverside Geyser is commonly photographed in a landscape format by standing across the river and shooting almost directly at it. While this creates a good photo, I believe a better option is the also capture Riverside erupting in a vertical format standing at an angle to it.
Unlike all other geysers shown in this post, I do not have any acceptable images of Riverside Geyser at this time. A few years ago, I had a corrupt section of an external drive that I backed up before I realized the problem which resulted in the loss of a number of images, including Riverside Geyser.
You can bet that when I return to Yellowstone this fall, I will have Riverside Geyser as one of my first stops.
Please search google images for examples of Riverside Geyser photos.
Daisy Geyser
General Overview
Daisy Geyser is located past Castle Geyser on the walkway to Morning Glory Pool on a well packed loop trail off to the left. This trail takes you to the entire Daisy Group in a pretty wooded setting where you will also see Zig Zag Geyser, Radiator Geyser and Bank Geyser along with other thermal features.
Because it is off to the side, Daisy Geyser and its surrounding thermal features are often overlooked. Take it from me, don’t miss a chance to photograph, not just Daisy Geyser but the entire Daisy Group.
One word of caution when exploring this area is to have bear spray handy. It is more wooded than the rest of the Upper Basin Geyser area and also receives less traffic so it can be a bit more prone to wildlife encounters.
Eruption Height and Duration
Daisy Geyser eruptions at a angle with heights of about 75 feet for only 3 to 5 minutes. Note: You definitely need to be there and set up ahead of time to catch its eruption.
Besides Old Faithful, Daisy Geyser is one of the more predictable large geysers in the Upper Basin with eruptions every 120-240 minutes. On each of my visited to the Daisy Group I have found it erupted about every 2 hours, making it easy to photograph.
Best Time to Photograph
Daisy Geyser can be photographed from both sides of the boardwalk and I found it photographed well both in the morning hours and also in the afternoon hours.
If possible photograph Riverside Geyser, then check Daisy’s next eruption schedule. If you have time before it goes off again, stop at Morning Glory Pool before heading back to Daisy.
Daisy Geyser Photo Tips
Photo of Daisy Eruption
Other Upper Geyser Basin Thermal Features
Morning Glory Pool
Morning Glory Pool is located in the Riverside and Morning Glory area of the Upper Basin at the end of a 1.5 mile boardwalk. Although it is named a pool and referred to as a hot spring, Morning Glory has been known to turn into a geyser and erupt on rare occasions.
This pool was named for the beautiful morning glory flower since it once had a beautiful blue core and was shaped like the morning glory flower.
Today its once famous blue water is now green probably due to the amount of trash that had been thrown into it’s core over the years.
Things to Know About photographing Morning Glory Pool:
Photo of Morning Glory Pool in the early morning with uneven lighting as mentioned above.
Photo of the core of Morning Glory Pool
Photo taken later in the morning showing shadows from the boardwalk in the left lower corner
Grotto Geyser
This strangely shaped geyser is located a short distance from Riverside Geyser and also the Daisy Group Trail therefore I am not sure which area to group it in. For photography purposes, I suggest coordinating a visit to it based on its eruption time which is closest to either Daisy Geyser’s or Riverside Geyser’s eruption schedule.
Grotto erupts with two different types of eruptions; normal and marathon. Normal eruptions happen about every 6 hours lasting from anywhere from one to two hours. They are not that big.
Marathon eruptions occur once this geyser has erupted more than two times but can be as infrequent as every ten eruptions. Geyser Times will indicate which type of eruption last occurred.
Giant Geyser
As you head back towards Old Faithful from Morning Glory, Giant Geyser is just past Grotto Geyser. Be sure to take a picture, even though it likely will not be erupting.
Giant Geyser is the second tallest active geyser in the world with eruptions reaching 200-250 feet and lasting an hour. The only active geyser taller than Giant is Steamboat which is located in the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone. Giant’s cone is about 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide.
Giant Geyser is not predictable though and has long periods of dormancy which is why Grand, not Giant, is the second tallest predictable geyser in the world
In the 1950’s the geyser became dormant but began erupting again in the 1970s with 50 eruptions in one year and one eruption in another year. In 2018, it began erupting frequently again but has not erupted since October of 2018 as of the first of 2024.
Personal Note: Despite 20 visits and spending significant time in Yellowstone both in 2017 and 2019, I have never been able to capture Giant during an eruption. In fact, Giant decided to torment me and erupt frequently in 2018 when I was photographing the Oregon Coast.
As to being able to photograph Giant Geyser, the only recommendation I have is to make sure to spend a lot of time in the Upper Basin when it is active if photographing it is important to you.
Leaving Grotto and heading back towards Old Faithful you will again find yourself in the Grand Geyser and Castle Geyser area (shown in the above interactive map) where you will find a number of thermal features worth photographing. Here are a few of my top features you may wish to capture if time permits.
Chromatic Pool
Chromatic Pool is a hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin next to Beauty Pool. When water levels in one pool decrease, the water levels in the other pool increase indicating they are connected below the surface.
Beauty Pool
Beauty Pool is a colorful pool located on the Upper Basin that is best photographed in the morning light with a wide angle lens.
As you continue past Beauty Springs toward Old Faithful, you will next encounter a small but interesting feature called Wave Springs.
Wave Springs
Wave Springs is actually a geyser that erupts on rare occasions and has a very dark orange to brownish border (mat). It is adjacent to woodlands which I found made it hard to photograph. If you are short on time, feel free to skip this one.
Next you will come to Grand Geyser which we already covered. If you have not photographed it yet, check the schedule for the next eruption. Continuing on, make a stop at a cool little feature called Belgian Pool then turn right at the boardwalk that heads back toward Castle Geyser.
Before you cross the river, you will see a feature on your right called South Scallop Springs.
South Scallop Springs
South Scallop Springs is not easy to photograph by itself but the spring can be a good foreground subject as part of a landscape image of the Firehole River as shown below.
Crested Pool
After photographing South Scallop Springs, if you have not already photographed Crested Pool when you photographed Castle Geyser, head over the bridge toward Castle Geyser and you will see Crested Pool on your left.
Crested Pool is considered a spring that will occasionally erupt. For photography, it is best photographed in the late afternoon light as you stand on the boardwalk facing both Castle Geyser and Crested Pool.
It can also be photographed in the early morning light if you photograph it by itself with the Firehole River in the background as shown in the image below.
Now it’s time to head to the Geyser Hill Area for photography.
Continuing on the Upper Geyser Loop Trail (if you photographed Crested Pool you will need to walk back over the bridge) you will come to a dead end where the trail heads either right or left. Take a right and immediate you will come to the Lion Geyser Group.
Lion Geyser Group
The Lion Geyser group is located in the Geyser Hill area and comprised of four geysers and three hot springs and located on Geyser Hill within a short distance from Old Faithful.
The geysers in this group are Lion, Lioness, Little Cub and Big Cub, with Lion being the biggest geyser. Only two of the geysers, Lion and Little Cub erupt regularly although they are not predictable. When they do erupt, they erupt in a series from one to more than 9 eruptions over about 4 hours.
Lion Geyser erupts to heights of 50-70 feet lasting for about 4 minutes.
Note: I have yet to capture an eruption of Lion Geyser during an eruption when the skies were not grey.
After leaving Lion Group, you will next encounter a small spring called Heart Springs that is a pretty little pool about 10 feet wide with blue water. A popular composition places Heart Springs in the foreground and the Lion Group in the background. However, Heart Springs can also be photographed by itself as shown below.
A short walk from Heart Springs is one of my favorite Geyser Hill features called Depression Geyser. Not only the colors of the pool itself very pretty but also the surrounding area makes for a very interesting and colorful photograph.
Yellowstone Depression Geyser
Other Thermal Features to Photograph
Upper Geyser Basin- Things to Know
To learn about all the geysers, their latest eruption schedule and also the visitor amenities in The Upper Geyser Basin, be sure to stop at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Seriously, geyser patterns change and it is very helpful to have the more current information.
Season Dates and Times
Other Things to Know
Final Thoughts on Photographing Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin
I have only scratched the surface of all the amazing subjects a photographer will encounter in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin. Of course, even though I realize most of you will have limited time in the park, I encourage you to spend at minimum a half a day in this basin.
Also, try to photograph geysers based on, not only when they are about to go off, but also based on the frequency of their eruptions. For instance a geyser like Castle that may only erupt every 15 hours and is about to erupt, should be your first stop instead of a geyser like Old Faithful or Daisy that erupts more frequently.
I should also note I did not provide specifics on photographing geysers in this post since its focus is in providing an overview of the top features in the Upper Geyser Basin.
I do, however, have the following article: “How to Photograph Geysers” that covers details about how to photograph geysers along with other things you need to know before photographing a geyser.
In summary, I have only scratched the surface of the many photography opportunities that are available in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin. My hope is this post will inspire you to make time to explore and photograph features besides Old Faithful in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone.
The photography opportunities are endless and days could be spent in this one basin.
As great as Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin is, be sure to also make time to visit Yellowstones’ small basins as each holds its own beautiful thermal features worthy of a camera moment.
In fact, I have dedicated separate blog posts to the following basins:
Yellowstone Geyser Basins- Mammoth Hot Springs
Photographing Yellowstone’s Biscuit, Black Sand & Midway Geyser Basins
Lastly, for those planning a summer trip to Yellowstone, be sure to check out my Yellowstone Best Packing Guide to be sure you come prepared to enjoy all of Yellowstone National Park.
Thanks for joining me on another Road Trip Friday adventure and I hope to see you back next week for another road trip adventure.
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