Yellowstone’s Lower Geyser Basin is an highly active geothermal area that is located halfway between the West Entrance and Old Faithful. There are several highlights in this area you wouldn’t want to miss – our recommendation is to stop by Ojo Cliente Spring, Fountain Paint Pot and Firehole Lake Drive.
Ojo Caliente
Ojo Caliente is spanish and translates to ‘hot eye’, this hot spring is exceptionally hot. It is idyllically located along the Firehole River. Unlike many of the other thermal features you will have to walk a kilometer or so to reach the hot spring, and just because of this you will probably have it all to yourself, so if you are tired of the crowds this is where you want to head.
For those familiar with the story of Nez Perce it is interesting to know they entered Yellowstone from the West Entrance and Nez Perce Creek named after the events in 1877 is located in this area.
Ojo Caliente
Firehole River
Fountain Paint Pot
A bit further south on the Grand Loop Road you’ll find the Fountain Paint Pot area.
Thermophilic bacteria is one of the fascinating forms of life on this planet. They love heat – and they thrive in the geothermal features of Yellowstone. The first thermophile bacteria was discovered in the Lower Geyser Basin. It is pretty amazing that the bacteria found in Yellowstone has contributed to DNA fingerprinting and is used to provide insight into the possibility of life on other planets.
Clepsydra Geyser
Silex Spring
Firehole Lake Drive
Across the road from the Fountain Paint Pot area is the Firehole Lake Drive. This is an awesome one-way drive through style loop where you’ll drive from one thermal feature to the next. You don’t even have to get out of the car to see the geysers and hot springs lined up for you!
Firehole Spring
Surprise Pool
There are two larger geysers on this loop that have somewhat regular eruptions. The White Dome Geyser is a cone type geyser that will erupt every 10 min – 3 hours. The other one is The Great Fountain Geyser that erupts every 8 – 12 hours. The latter one if by far the most impressive one, but unless you have a lot of time you are more likely to see the White Dome Geyser erupt.
White Dome Geyser
If you are not able to catch Great Fountain Geyser erupting second best is to catch the sunset here as the light is reflected beautifully in its pools.
Great Fountain Geyser
This place looks truly fascinating! Love the pink sunset reflection.
Thank you so much Piia! The sunset was definitely worth returning for:)
GREAT! Extremely interesting and beautiful!
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! 🙂
Great work, Inger … as usual. It’s on my , Bucket List, but at my age and a few other hindrances, I doubt if I’ll get there.That’s why you guys who get around are so helpful to us that cannot. We see these near remarkable places through you and your cameras.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment Dan! Yellowstone is a wonderful place, I am happy to bring you along on the journey:)
These are wonderful, Inger! It looks like such beautiful and exciting place to be! The colours are amazing!
Thank you so much Pete! There was just so much to see, we spent the whole day here and could probably have spent even longer:)
It’s a wonderful feeling when you enjoy a place so much you just don’t want to leave 🙂
Stunning photoset, and it looks like a stunning place to visit too. Wonderful 🙂
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! Of you haven’t been to Yellowstone yet I can highly recommend it. Lots of interesting photos to be taken and exciting features to experienced:)
Fantastic Yellowstone post, Inger. I spent a full day exploring much of the geyser activity here, but never got to most of the sites you highlight here, so this was wonderful to get more. Interesting info and stunning photos. Thanks so much.
Thank you so much Jet! There is so much to see in Yellowstone. I think we spent three days in the Lower Geyser Basin and Old Faithful areas and there were still things we didn’t have time for. But I am happy for all the things we did have time to see, an amazing place:)
Great pictures of an awesome place.
Thank you so much Darlene for the lovely comment! I really appreciate it. Yellowstone is truly an awesome place:)
Amazing Inger, and great photos! <3
Diana xo
Thank you so much dear Diana, much appreciated:)
Awesome photographs … thanks for the ride …
Thanks for the lovely feedback on our photography John! Yellowstone is an amazing park, it was my pleasure taking you along for the ride:)
Wow, your photos are wonderful, you made us discover a nature in the action.
It is a pleasure to admire. Thank you very much to the photographer.
I wish you a beautiful Sunday.
Thank you so much for the generous comments Hervé! There was so much to discover and photograph is Yellowstone. And you are right, there was a lot of action if you were able to be at the right place to the right time:)
It’s not from this world! 😉 Great pictures! I wish you a nice weekend! Simone
That is exactly what I was thinking as well Simone! Thank you so much for the lovely comment:)
Noted. Thank you for the recommendation! So beautiful!
Thank you so much! Yellowstone is such an amazing place – well worth a visit! 🙂
Wow,great post!Must be awesome to see them erupt.Beautiful pictures!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! When you have been waiting for the geyser to erupt and it finally happens it is just amazing 🙂
Wonderful pictures. I like that emerald color of the pool.
Yes – it looks very inviting, but don’t let it fool you – it is deadly with its boiling temperature:)
Breathtaking photos with a lot of memories to me.
Thank you so much Marylou:)
Great photos, the geyser basin is such a unique area to see and smell. Jim
Thanks Jim! Could’t agree more, the smell is pretty special as well:)
Splendid photos as usual! I’m afraid, though, that if I ever visited Yellowstone I wouldn’t be able not to think about the super-volcano in that incredibly rubbish film, “2012”…
Much appreciated:) Can’t remember that movie, any famous actors in it? Assuming it was one of those ‘end of the world’ movies? 🙂
Indeed it was, pretty much 90% was made of explosions and screaming and dramatic music. I think John Cusack and Woody Harrelson starred in it…
Wow! This geyser is so mesmerising….and all the more during sunset!
Thank you! I was well worth returning for the sunset don’t you think?
Inger I had not realized that there were so many different geysers. Spectacular images!
Neither did I Sue before the visit. So many that a day in this area was far from enough, but at least we got the highlights. I would love to go back and get more photos as sunset and sunrise:) Thanks for the lovely comment!
Love all your Yellowstone posts. I’ll definitely be referring to your posts when we visit Yellowstone. As always, wonderful photos!
Thanks you so much Ingrid, I really appreciate your always lovely comments! 🙂 And I know you’ll be loving Yellowstone once you get the chance to visit outside of high season:)
Fantastiska foton och fantastisk plats på jorden. Så otroligt vackert!
Takk så mye! Det var så mye og se og ta bilder av. Skulle gjerne vært der ennå lenger slik at vi kunne fått bilder av flere geyserer i solnedgang. Det hadde vært topp, men man kan sikkert bo en hel sesong i Yellowstone uten å rekke over alt:)
Amazing shots, as always!
Thank you so much! 🙂
lo stupore per i colori così intensi, nella straordinarietà del luogo
veramente eccellente!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! I have to agree – the colours of Yellowstone are quite intense – it is a special place on this earth:)
concordo in tutto! 🙂
What a beautiful shot.
Thank you so much Lady Fi! 🙂
Thanks for taking us there. The first shot is spectacular.
Thank you so much! That is my favourite as well:) I would have loved to have more sunset photos of geysers, but time is limited:)
Stunning scenery, beautifully photographed!
Much appreciated! The scenery was out of this world:)
Beautiful photos and great article. Our bucket list includes visiting all the U.S. National Parks. To date, we have been to 44 of the 59 parks. If you’re interested, take a look at my blog to read about our adventures and see my photos. Happy travels!
https://here2where.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! I love your bucket list, that is an amazing goal. And I will definitely be checking out your blog (I have had a sneak peek already….).
Wow amazing photos! Looks a fascinating place and such stunning scenery. Great travel guide too – haven’t been here yet but very interesting to read about it 🙂
Thank you so much Rosemary! Yellowstone is definitely a fascinating place – so many strange thermal features to explore and much to learn! 🙂
Lovely, but I like that first photo in particular.
The first one is my favourite as well, it was well worth going back to catch the sunset at this spot:) Thanks for the lovely comment!
Gorgeous photos! Yellowstone is such an amazing place!
Thank you so much Amanda! Yellowstone definitely amazed me:)
Beautiful photos. Theyre very vivid. I appreciated the background knowledge you shared as well. Thanks for liking some of my work.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! I really liked the colours in Yellowstone – from the bright orange to the emerald blue. It is an out of this earth place:)
Wow! I wish I could make it here someday! 🙂 Gorgeous!
Thank you so much! Yes – you should try and make it there! The geysers will give you their private rainbow assembly:)
Very great!!!
Thank you so much! 🙂
You brought back some great memories for me of our time in Yellowstone. We hope to return next summer. Great photos Inger!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment LuAnn! Yellowstone has much to offer so I can imagine you could go back several times and still experience something new:)
We are hoping to head there next summer.
Wonderful shots! Looks like an amazing place.
Thanks Rob! Yellowstone is an awesome place, lots to experience and lots of photo opportunities. And not too far from you, more or less driving distance:)
Beautiful place, with tones and a light incredible. In Spain we do not have geysers and i i have never seen. Beautiful images, Inger! 🙂
Thank you so much! I really fell in love with the colours at Yellowstone:) You might not have geysers in Spain, but you have many other amazing things to experience:) Did you know I lived in Sevilla for a short period (only 3 months) – amazing area as well:)
Oh, Seville, a beautiful city full of charm. Sure that you were very happy with his people so friendly and cheerful! be happy, Inger! 🙂
Incredible photos, Inger. You sure have talent and creativity!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Liesbet – and for leaving a comment so I could visit you as well:)
Spectacular views. Great captures.
Thank you so much Amy! Spectacular is a word I often use when talking about Yellowstone:)
I’ve been talking with a friend about visiting Yellowstone – your series of posts about it could have been more timely 🙂 Thanks for sharing them.
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! Jump at the opportunity and go visit Yellowstone, you won’t regret it. I would however recommend to try and visit early to late when there are less visitors. We went in beginning of September and it was the perfect timing we found:)
Beautiful pictures. I’ve always wanted to hike this region. Thanks for your tips!
Thanks Penne! Yellowstone is a super-exciting area to visit. We did a little bit of hiking, but we came to explore all the thermal features and there is little hiking involved in getting to most of them:)
I love the sunset in the first photo. Such beautiful colors that you captured. I’ve never seen hot springs and I’m amazed at how clear and pretty the water is. Great photos!
Thank you so much Cynthia! I was also so impressed with the clear crystal blue waters. They look inviting, but don’t let them fool you as they are burning hot.
Yes, and some are quite acidic too, I’ve heard. If you were to fall in, you would basically disintegrate immediately. I am always amazed at the stories of people walking off the trails and trying to go in those types of pools!
Thanks for recognizing, Morning Breaking over the Garage. I was particularly pleased to be fortunate enough to capture it.
My pleasure Dan, thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Beautiful scenery and lovely pictures.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment, and for the visit! 🙂
Wow, fantastic report and pictures! The colors are amazing. Maybe one day… 🙂
Thank you! The colours really amazed me as well, they were so vibrant! 🙂 I hope you get to see them in person.
Great photos of a fantastic place. I haven’t visited in person yet, but it’s definitely on my list.
You will not regret it if you go Maria! Yellowstone had so much to offer:)
Love the play of light in the last photo.
Thank you so much Margaretha! Sorry for the late reply, I haven’t been able to keep up with comments lately. This geyser was just the perfect place to get a sunset photo, the light was perfectly reflected in its pools. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Wish you a great weekend:)
So many pretty pictures ! I really enjoyed visiting Yellowstone and your pictures made me travel trough time and revived some memories. Happy new year and happy travels !
Thank you so much for the generous comment:) Not difficult to get some lovely captures in Yellowstone with such amazing scenery, Happy to bring your memories back. Sorry for the late reply, I haven’t been able to keep up with comment lately. Wish you a great weekend Gin!
Stunning shots!
Thank you so much Jarek! 🙂
Love it…cannot wait to go there and see it myself
Thank you so much! Yellowstone really has some amazing scenery you cannot find anywhere else. When are you planning on going there? 🙂
We are going to Yellowstone in May, so only a couple of months…cannot wait.
I am sure you will love it! And May is probably before the crowds arrive so sounds like a good time to go. Enjoy!! 🙂
Thank you, we will. Yeah thats what we were hoping for, to avoid the crowds.
! I really enjoyed visiting Yellowstone and your pictures made me travel trough time and revived some memories.