Norris Geysers - Yellowstone

Norris Geysers, Yellowstone
21 miles (34 km) south of Mammoth Hot Springs, 15 miles (23 km) north of Madison.

The Norris Geysers, Yellowstone, include the largest active geyser in the world, a rare acidic geyser, and a multitude of hydrothermal features. The park's hottest and most dynamic area, with many hot springs and fumaroles just below boiling, Norris has it all: hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and bubbling mudpots.

Get to Norris Geysers, Yellowstone, by car, or walk from Norris Campground (about 1 mile away). To avoid parking hassles, use the trail to get to the nearby Museum of the National Park Ranger.

Cautions: Norris Geysers, Yellowstone

• Stay on the boardwalks and walkways. The water can be boiling temperature or higher, what looks like solid ground may be only a thin crust, and going off the trails damages fragile plants and rock formations.
• Don't throw anything into the pools. Even a small object like a coin can choke off the water flow and kill an active formation.
• Pets are not allowed on the boardwalks.

Norris Geysers Yellowstone Sights

Start your exploration at the museum, where you can learn how the hydrothermal features work and find out what areas are open.

Norris Geyser Basin changes daily due to water fluctuations and seismic activity. New hot springs and geysers appear, others become dormant and some areas close if activity becomes too vigorous. Norris Geyser Basin sights are found along two loops, Porcelain Basin and Back Basin.

Porcelain Basin Trail Sights

Porcelain Basin is a short loop with lots of small geysers and features. Named for milky white color of its mineral-saturated water, the white, steamy landscape is punctuated with pools colored by minerals and bacteria.

• Constant Geyser: Constant Geyser erupts frequently, spraying water 20-30 feet high, in bursts as short as ten seconds.
• Whirligig Geyser: When this green-rimmed geyser erupts at unpredictable intervals, it sprays water in different directions.

Other features along the Porcelain Basin Trail include a noisy steam column called the Black Growler Steam Vent, and Crackling Lake, named for the popping sounds emitted by springs on its southern shore.

Back Basin Sights

Compared to Porcelain Basin, Back Basin has more trees and its features are more isolated.

• Emerald Spring: The spring's vibrant color originates from reflected sunlight combined with yellow sulfur.
• Steamboat Geyser: The world's tallest active geyser erupts infrequently, sometimes going years between eruptions, but when it goes off, it can throw water more than 300 feet (90 m) high.
• Cistern Spring: Cistern Spring is linked to Steamboat Geyser underground, and its blue waters empty when Steamboat erupts.
• Echinus Geyser: This rare acidic geyser, the largest one known, is named Echinus (e-KI-nus) for its spiky mineral deposits, which look like spines of echinoderms like sea urchins. It erupts irregularly.

Other sights along the Back Basin Trail include an assortment of geysers and hot springs.

Accessibility: Norris Geysers, Yellowstone

Much of the area around the Norris Geysers, Yellowstone, including boardwalks and trails is accessible, but wheelchairs may need assistance. Between Emerald Spring and Steamboat Geyser, uneven ground and many stairs make access difficult.