Here are my top finds for the Old Faithful Area of Yellowstone NP
🏨Lodges: Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, 1872 INN
📍Tours: Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour from West Yellowstone, Lower Loop Van Tour from West Yellowstone including Grand Prismatic & Old Faithful
🐻 Save time! Buy your National Park Pass before your trip
Park Alert: Biscuit Basin Closure
- The parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River at Biscuit Basin, located North of Old Faithful, is closed to travel until further notice due to the possibility of another event at the site of a hydrothermal explosion at occured July 23, 2024.
- A Geyser in the Biscuit Basin Area near Black Diamond Pool (pictured above) exploded around 10 AM Tuesday Morning on 7/23/2024, sending a black cloud of debris, including mud and rock, into the sky.
- The aftermath of the Biscuit Basin Explosion included scattered rock and mud while leaving a large amount of the boardwalk area severely damaged and unsafe for park visitors/tourists.
- These explosions do happen in Yellowstone; in fact, the last time they happened in Biscuit Basin was in 2009.
- For safety reasons, park officials have closed Biscuit Basin until further notice.
Biscuit Basin - Yellowstone National Park
Biscuit Basin is a short ½ mile boardwalk trail that guides you through epic Yellowstone Hyrdrotheremal features including Jewel Geyser, Mustard Spring, Black Opal Pool, and more. This easy walk is a must-see attraction in Yellowstone.
Biscuit Basin was named originally for the unusual biscuit-like formations (deposits) that used to be surrounding Sapphire Pool. During the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake Sapphire Pool erupted and the biscuits were blown away.
Even without the biscuit-like deposits, Sapphire Pool is still amazing!
Location - Upper Geyser Basin, three miles north of Old Faithful in the Upper Geyser Basin.
Distance - ½ of a mile boardwalk
If you want to spend more time hiking, you can take the extension off the Biscuit Basin Loop and head towards Mystic Falls Trail, Observation Point, Summit Lake, and Fairy Creek Trail.
The boardwalk is an easy walk from the parking lot. There is a small hill in the beginning, but once you are past that, it is pretty flat.
There is no shade, so it can get fairly warm on a hot summer day. However, it is well worth taking the time to explore this gorgeous thermal area in Yellowstone.
Black Opal Spring
One of the first things you see when you walk along the boardwalk is the gorgeous Black Opal Spring.
Sapphire Pool
Sapphire Pool is one of our favorite blue water pools in Yellowstone National Park. The bright blue pools are unbelievable.
It is hard to imagine that Sapphire Pool is over 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Following the 1959 earthquake, Sapphire Pool would erupt with 150-foot eruptions. Today the pool is normally very calm with rare boiling and surges.
Jewel Geyser
Jewel Geyser erupts every seven to ten minutes!
You can see the eruptions from all around the Biscuit Basin boardwalk. We had to wait for just a few minutes for it to erupt and it was so worth it.
Shell Spring
Keep an eye on Shell Geyser as you walk by it. You will see the water start to drain and then it starts bubbling up. For a small thermal feature, it is really fun to watch.
At times Shell Spring can erupt 5 to 8 feet high.
Avoca Spring
Avoca Spring hisses and steams as you walk by it on the boardwalk.
At time Avoca Spring will erupt with water going in all directions.
The Biscuit Basin boardwalk splits and there is a trail towards Mystic Falls which is 1.2 miles.
Just down from there the boardwalk splits is this super colorful pool. We have not been able to find a name for it but it is worth taking the side trail down a few feet to get a photo.
Mustard Spring
Mustard Spring temperature ranges from 172-198°F. It erupts frequently and normally for about five minutes.
Black Pearl Geyser
We did not see this small geyser go off. So far we are still researching if it is still active.
Wall Pool
Wall Pool is absolutely gorgeous! I don't know why we don't hear more about the epic hot springs and colorful pools along Biscuit Basin more often.
River Otters
Keep an eye out on the Firehole River for River Otters as you cross the wooden bridge heading up to Biscuit Basin.
We saw 5 or 6 River Otters playing in the water just below the bridge. I have to admit we were so surprised we jumped and squealed in joy a bit. LOL
Best Yellowstone National Park Tours & Activities
Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (677+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 12 hours | 🚐🦌 Check Rates and Availability
One of the most booked and highest-reviewed full-day Yellowstone experiences, this comprehensive guided day tour covers every iconic sight in the park in a single well-organized 12-hour journey.
The tour guarantees Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, and all the must-see highlights, with the guide staying by your side throughout, never leaving guests to figure things out on their own. A lunch is included. Recommended by 98% of travelers across nearly 700 reviews. Booked an average of 40 days in advance. Pickup is included from hotels in West Yellowstone.
Lower Loop Van Tour from West Yellowstone: Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (385+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 8 hours | 🚐🌋 Check Rates and Availability
This full-day van tour is the go-to choice for visitors who want to see the Lower Loop's greatest hits without worrying about driving, parking, or navigation. Departing from West Yellowstone at 7 AM with hotel pickup included, the day begins with an early-morning wildlife sweep through Shadow Canyon of the Madison River, where bear and elk are regularly spotted. From there the tour hits the Grand Prismatic Hot Springs overlook, Old Faithful and the historic Old Faithful Inn, West Thumb Geyser Basin on Yellowstone Lake, the bison-filled Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at Artist Point.
Hotel pickup included from West Yellowstone. Booked an average of 30 days in advance.
6-Mile Geyser Hiking Tour in Yellowstone with Lunch
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (93+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 6 hours | 🥾🌋
Check Rates and Availability
Most visitors to Yellowstone spend their time at Old Faithful watching the eruption from the crowded viewing area and then heading back to the parking lot. This tour goes somewhere completely different. Starting at the Daisy Geyser Trailhead and following the Firehole River through the Upper Geyser Basin, your guide takes a small group of up to 14 guests past hissing steam vents, vivid hot springs, and geysers that most park visitors walk right past without knowing what they are looking at.
The route covers 6 miles and about six hours on your feet, passing Grotto Geyser, Observation Point, Daisy Geyser, and a climb up to the Observation Point overlook above Old Faithful where reviewers consistently say the view puts the standard ground-level crowd experience to shame. One reviewer watched Old Faithful erupt twice from two completely different vantage points on the same tour. Another caught Grand Geyser erupting up close after their guide rerouted around a bison blocking the trail.
Click here to find more great Yellowstone National Park Tours.
Where is Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone?
Biscuit Basin is located three miles north of Old Faithful just off of the Grand Loop Road.
It is an easy drive and there is a great loop parking lot near the trailhead that is easily accessible. I would not drive large RVs into the loop parking lot.
It could get really tight to make the turn. We saw someone trying to make it through the parking area and the entire time we were holding our breath hoping they didn't hit another car.
Closest Visitor Center
Old Faithful Visitor Center is the closest campground to Black Sand Basin.
Lodging Options in the Old Faithful Area
⭐️ 4.2 of 5 Stars - Old Faithful Inn - Click here for Rates and Availability.
The most iconic hotel in the American national park system, a National Historic Landmark and the largest log structure in the world, sitting just steps from Old Faithful geyser!
Built in 1903 from local rhyolite stone and lodge pole pine, the soaring 7-story lobby with its massive stone fireplace and hand-crafted copper and wrought iron clock is one of the most breathtaking interior spaces in any hotel anywhere. Choose from historic Old House rooms, some with shared bathrooms straight out of the early 1900s, to modern Deluxe rooms, Junior Suites, and Geyser Basin View Suites. Live music fills the lobby each evening, and the elegant Old Faithful Inn Dining Room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with dinner reservations required. Also on site are the Bear Pit Lounge, Bear Paw Deli and Coffee Bar, & gift shop. No TVs, WiFi, or air conditioning keeps the historic magic intact. Open early May through mid-October, book up to 13 months in advance as this is the most requested lodging in Yellowstone!
⭐️ 4.2 of 5 Stars - Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins - Click here for Rates and Availability.
One of only two lodges open in winter inside Yellowstone, a stunning award-winning parkitecture masterpiece with heavy timber construction, exterior log columns, and a cedar shingle roof, just a 5-minute walk from Old Faithful!
The newest full-service lodge in the park, completed in 1999 and winner of the Cody Award for Western Design, it features a cozy lobby fireplace, the elegant Obsidian Dining Room serving wild game and regional cuisine, the casual Geyser Grill, Firehole Lounge with a second fireplace, Bear Den Gift Shop and Ski Shop with cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals, free WiFi, and free parking. Rooms and cabins feature mini-fridges, coffee makers, hair dryers, and modern bathrooms, with pet friendly cabins available. In winter, heated snowcoach tours depart right from the lodge for park-wide sightseeing. Open late April through late October and mid-December through early March!
⭐️ 4.9 of 5 Stars - 1892 Inn - Click here for Rates and Availability.
West Yellowstone's most refined boutique hotel, a gorgeous adults-only mountain lodge just 1 mile from the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, named after the year America's first national park was established!
The 18 rooms feature gas fireplaces, premium bedding, bathrobes and slippers, dual towel warmers, flat-screen satellite TVs, mini-fridges, and walk-in showers, all wrapped in rustic-chic Montana style with cowhide chairs and western throws. A complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning, and the cozy lobby lounge with a stone fireplace is perfect for unwinding after a long day in the park. Sauna, fitness center, business center, free WiFi, and free parking included. Open year-round!
Click this link or the map below for a complete list of hotels and vacation rentals in the West Yellowstone, Montana Area.
https://www.stay22.com/embed/61f07ec196333b001540b97aYellowstone National Park Entrance Fee
New in 2026: Each Non-US Resident aged 16 and older visiting Yellowstone National Park must pay a $100 nonresident fee (in addition to the standard entrance fee), unless admitted with an annual or America the Beautiful Pass. This includes nonresidents entering as part of a commercial tour group, commercial use authorization (CUA) group, or concessioner tour group.
Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Snowmobile - $30.00 Entry for one driver and one passenger (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass - $20.00 Visitors 16 years or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
$20.00 for Non-Commercial Group (16+ persons)
$20.00 for Commercial Sedan with 1-6 seats and non-commercial groups (16+ persons) ($25.00 plus $20.00 per person)
$125.00 for Commercial Van with 7-15 seats
$200.00 for Commercial Mini-Bus with 16-25 seats
$300.00 for Commercial Motor Coach with 26+ seats
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the free entrance days the National Park Service offers for US citizens and residents.
Additional Yellowstone National Park Information
- Yellowstone National Park Guide - Your complete guide to exploring the world's first National Park!
- Things to do in Yellowstone - These are the top things to do that you don't want to miss, including exploring the Mammoth Hot Springs, the Museum of the National Park Ranger, Yellowstone Waterfalls, Kayaking in Yellowstone, fishing in Yellowstone, Fairy Falls Trail, and more!
- Yellowstone National Park Facts - Learn more about our 1st National Park and fun facts about the wildlife in the park.
- Yellowstone Wildlife Guide- Complete Guide to seeing wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, including the most popular wildlife viewing areas, including Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley.
- Ultimate Yellowstone National Park Lodging Guide - This complete guide to all of Yellowstone National Park's Lodges and cabins
- Ultimate Yellowstone Camping Guide - This complete guide to camping in Yellowstone includes all front country campgrounds
Yellowstone Geyser Basin Areas
- Upper Geyser Basin, including Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin, and Old Faithful Geyser.
- Midway Geyser Basin, including Grand Prismatic Spring and Firehole Lake Drive.
- Lower Geyser Basin, including Fountain Paint Pot Trail and Firehole Canyon Drive
- Norris Geyser Basin-This basin is known for having some of the hottest water and springs in the park. It is actually two basins: Porcelain Basin and Black Basin, with famous geysers, including Ledge Geyser, Cistern Geyser, and Steamboat Geyser.
- West Thumb Geyser Basin - Beautiful boardwalk trail with hydrothermal features right next to Lake Yellowstone!
- Mud Volcano - The Mud Volcano area is Located south of Canyon Village and North of Lake Yellowstone. It has several hydrothermal features, including a mud volcano and Dragon's Mouth Spring.
Additional Montana National Parks
- Complete Guide to Grand Teton National Park - Your complete guide to go explore Grand Teton National Park before or after you visit Yellowstone!
- Epic Guide to Glacier National Park - Complete guide to exploring Glacier National Park
- Little Bighorn Battlefield - Also known as Custer's Last Stand, a place where the Plains Tribes fought their last major battle and won.
- Big Hole National Battlefield - site of the pivotal battle in the Nez Perce War of 1877 between Colonel Gibbon's troops and five bands of the Nez Perce Indians led by the famous Native American Leader, Cheif Joseph.
- Grant Kohr's Ranch National Historic Site - See what ranch life was like in the 1800s in Montana
Check out all of the Montana National Parks along with neighboring National Parks in Wyoming, National Parks in South Dakota, North Dakota National Parks, and Idaho National Parks.
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