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
Firehole Canyon Drive in Yellowstone National Park is just south of the Madison Junction heading into the park from West Yellowstone, Montana. This two-mile one-way road guides you past Firehole Falls and Firehole River Swimming Area.
Firehole Canyon Drive
Location - South of the Madison Junction on the Grand Loop.
The entrance to Firehole Canyon Drive is designated with a park sign.
Distance - 2-mile one-way road off the Grand Loop
As you drive along the road keep an eye out for Bald Eagles in the trees over the Firehole River.
Firehole Falls
Firehole Falls is an 80-foot waterfall off the side of the road. The Firehole Falls passes through 800-foot thick lava flows.
There a pull-offs and a small parking area so you can get out and see the full 80 feet of the falls.
Firehole River Swimming Area
Firehole River Swimming area is one of two areas within Yellowstone National Park that visitors can swim. The other area is the Boiling River near Mammoth Hot Springs.
One thing to know is there is no designated parking lot for the Firehole River swimming hole. You can park along the side of the road.
No jumping from the cliffs or diving is allowed! Glass containers and pets are also prohibited.
There is no lifeguard on duty. Visitors swim at their own risk.
One thing to know is the water is similar to an unheated swimming pool. Even though it sounds like the water should be warm with the name Firehole.
There are changing rooms off the side of the road so visitors can change into their swimsuits and later into dry clothes.
The beach area is rocky! You will want at minimum a pair of flip flops or Tevas that can help protect your feet.
Many visitors will scramble up a bit and float down the river into the swimming area. Please be prepared for the current to be strong! If you are not a strong swimmer or are not comfortable maneuvering in the current I would stick to the calm swimming area.
There are quite a few stairs to reach the Firehole River swimming area.
Where is Firehole Canyon Drive?
Firehole Canyon Drive branches off from the Grand Loop Road less than a mile south of Madison Junction.
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.
Nearby Yellowstone Attractions
- Old Faithful - Old Faithful is just down the road from Firehole Lake Drive
- Biscuit Basin - Check out Black Opal Pool and the Jewel Geyser in Biscuit Basin.
- Firehole Lake Drive - This 2-mile scenic drive includes the Great Fountain Geyer, White Dome Geyser and Firehole Lake
- Fountain Paint Pots Boardwalk Trail - Check out this half-mile boardwalk that guides you past all four types of hydrothermal in the park.
- Fairy Falls - Fairy Falls can be seen on a 5-mile round trip hike
- Norris Geyser Basin - Norris Geyser Basin has two different loop trails that guide you past some of the hottest thermal areas in Yellowstone.
Don't miss the epic waterfalls in Yellowstone you can easily see while exploring the park.
Closest Campground
Check out all of the Yellowstone Campgrounds to help plan your time in the park.
Closest Yellowstone Lodging
Yellowstone 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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