Editor’s note: In July 2025, Now Habersham weathercaster Tyler Penland headed west to hike and camp in Yellowstone National Park. His latest “Go west, young man” series features the stunning images he captured and the stories he brought back.
Located just behind Old Faithful when approaching from the main parking lot lies one of the most active areas of Yellowstone National Park.
The Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone features the most recognizable features in the park outside of the Grand Prismatic Spring. Old Faithful itself, as well as the Morning Glory Pool and Castle Geyser, are all staples of any visit to the park’s geothermal areas.
As you walk down toward the Firehole River to start your way on the boardwalk, you are quickly reminded of how this river got its name. All along the shore, numerous hot springs run into its waters, often appearing like this as streaks of white and orange. This small hot spring on our side of the river, coupled with the large flow from another on the other side, really highlights this. The people on the other side really give some perspective on just how big this area is.
According to the National Park Service, 150 or more geysers are located in just one square mile of this basin. We were fortunate to see several erupting on our visit. None is quite as impressive as Old Faithful, but they are all quite something to see in their own right.
Castle Geyser, as well as an additional one I could not positively ID, were both putting on quite a show at the same time, as you can see below. The roar of the water and steam from these features is impressive and something you have to hear yourself to fully understand.
Easily my favorite active spot of this basin was the Grotto Geyser. This double geyser was highly active on the day of our visit. While it doesn’t spray water nearly as high as some of its compatriots, the constant churning of the water made for a very eerie sound. The holes around this pair I also found quite fascinating. This geyser looks quite different from every angle you view it from, making it a very cool spot indeed.
This basin offers the best opportunity to get up close and personal with the stunning rock formations that comprise these geysers. The water spray builds up over time and forms beautiful, almost coral-like features along the mounds that make up the geyser’s cone.
I took this up close shot of Castle Geyser to highlight these beautiful rocks. These formations are constantly changing as the boiling water moves silt and rock out from underground.
The pools of this basin are also absolutely nothing to sneeze at. There are hundreds of small hot springs and fumaroles scattered across the landscape, and many of them are breathtaking.
This pool had a beautiful border built up during our visit and was covered in a very thin crust of rock. You can see just how deep it is by peeking in the brilliant blue hole.
Travel off the boardwalks in the geothermal areas is incredibly dangerous and has resulted in many fatalities and injuries over the years within the park. One step onto the thin crust of this pool and you would likely fall in and be badly burned or killed.
The most brilliant and famous of all the pools in this basin is, without a doubt, the Morning Glory Pool. The history of this pool dates back to the park’s early days. Unfortunately, over the years, it has also taken quite a bit of damage. Tourists have long tossed rocks and trash into this pool, resulting in a dramatic change in its color.
The orange and yellows you see here used to only line the outside of the pool, but blockages from the trash, coins, and other things have resulted in the pool cooling down, and the deep blue slowly receding.
This spot stands as a testament to what can happen when we are not mindful of our impact on nature. What was once a beautiful, deep blue pool has been altered forever by the poor behavior of humans.
The Upper Geyser Basin is worth spending 2-3 hours in at least, and with this now out of the way, it was time to head on to our next stop…..
Check out Tyler’s other articles in this series:
- Go West, young man: To where it started
- White Mountain
- Bunsen Peak
- Norris Geyser Basin
- Star light, star bright
- A ‘Faithful’ meeting
