The Story of Old Faithful And What Makes It The Most Famous Geyser In The World

Old Faithful Geyser is one of Yellowstone National Park's most iconic monuments and an attraction that pulls people from far and wide. It is one of America's most recognizable natural landmarks. It was Yellowstone's unique thermal features like this that made Yellowstone world's first national park back in 1872. Yellowstone is truly a geyser wonderland, it alone possesses close to 60% of all the world's geysers. The greatest concentration of these geysers is in the Upper Geyser Basin. Here there are at least 150 geysers in just one square mile.

About Geysers And Why They Erupt

Geysers are intermittent discharges of water ejected into the air. These are caused by hydrogeological conditions that are quite rare in the world. Generally, geysers are in volcanic areas like Yellowstone National Park and the stunning paradise of Iceland. The cause of geysers (including Old Faithful) is the proximity of hot molten magma to the surface. Water seeps down the earth generally to around 6,600 feet or 2,000 meters where it is heated by the hot rocks at that depth.

The result is that the water boils and pressurizes, and then it shoots up to the surface in the form of a geyser (known as a hydrothermal explosion). Geysers come and go due to the constant changes beneath the surface.

Extra-Terrestrial Geysers: Geyser-like Eruptions Have Been Observed On Several Of The Moons In The Solar System (They Are Called Cryogeysers)
Composition Of Extra-Terrestrial Geysers: Water Vaper In Saturn's Moon Enceladus, Nitrogen Eruoptions On Neptune's Moon Triton, Carbon Dioxide Eruptions On Mars

About Old Faithful

Predictable Geysers: Grand, Old Faithful, Riverside, Daisy, And Castle Geysers
Number Of Geysers: Nearly 500 Geysers In Yellowstone Alone

It is unusual to be able to predict when geysers will erupt, but Old Faithful is very faithful with its timing and one of the five or six geysers that the park rangers can predict. It was named back in 1870 and was the first geyser in Yellowstone to be named. It is highly predictable and has erupted every 44 minutes to 2 hours since 2000. It is taking longer and longer for Old Faithful to erupt, this is probably due to earthquakes affecting the subterranean water levels. Predictions are with a 90% confidence rate with a 10-minute variation of exactly when it could erupt.

The next eruption is predicted by the park ranges and the next predicted eruption is displayed at the visitor center. Predictions are done old hat, with a stopwatch and a written logbook.

Time Between Eruptions: 44 Minutes To 2 Hours Since 2000
Lengthening Time: Old Faithful's Eruptions Have Lengthened By 30 Minutes In The Last 30 Years
Amount Of Water: 3,700 to 8,400 US Gallons Of Boiling Water In Each Eruption
Height: 106-185 Feet
Duration: 1.5 to 5 Minutes

There is no guarantee that Old Faithful will always continue to erupt. The unlining thermal dynamics that drive its eruptions are constantly changing and it is possible that it could stop at some point in time.

Today visitors can easily see Old Faithful from a safe distance at the viewing area or along the boardwalks that run around the geyser and through the Upper Geyser Basin.

When To Visit

The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park is in the summer. This is also when it is the busiest and there can be large crowds of people. One can also visit in the autumn and spring when it is cooler and the crowds are thinner. In the winter there is heavy snow in the park and activities, services, and sites are limited and restricted. Access to Old Faithful can be restricted in the winter due to snow.

Old Faithful Inn

Just by Old Faithful is the Old Faithful Inn. It was designed with asymmetry to reflect the chaos of nature. It is old, having been built in 1903-1904, and is a stunning rustic log cabin and it is massive. The Lobby's ceiling is 65 feet high and it boasts a huge rhyolite fireplace. The inn was expanded in 1915 and 1927.

Rare For Being: One Of The Few Remaining Log Hotels In America
Status: National Historic Landmark
Number of Rooms: 327 Rooms Available

Today if the traveler has the budget, then it would be perfect to say at the Old Faithful Inn. The prices vary significantly depending on the season etc. The Inn also has great dining options. Here are prices for some of their rooms to give an idea of the pricing.