Norris Geyser Basin includes some of the hottest water and springs in the park. One thing to know is this can mean the ambient air feels like you have walked into the Sahara desert…it is HOT HOT HOT!
TL;DR Don’t have time to read the full article? Here are my top finds:
🏨Hotels and Vacation Rentals
📍Tours
🐻 Save time! Buy your National Park Pass before your trip
Norris Geyser Basin – Yellowstone National Park
We visited when it was only 78 degrees outside yet it felt like we were walking in a hot desert of heat. It was actually a bit miserable and we were super grumpy from being so hot by the end of it. We were not the only ones to be feeling the heat.
This is the one place in the park that we saw a lot of grumpy faces and heard people complaining about how hot the hike was, how hot they were and how they were done with it all.
I am not telling you this to detract you from visiting Norris Hot Springs but more to warn you so you are prepared for the experience.
Please make sure that you have water for everyone in your group, sunscreen, hats, and hike when it is the cooler part of the day if at all possible. We saw people carrying umbrellas to help block some of the direct sun and keep cooler.
We had a mister with us and it felt like we had won the lotto being able to cool down even a tiny bit with it.
The Norris Geyser Basin is broken into two sections each with its own hikes. Each of these hikes is downhill at the beginning and back up the hill when you are done walking the boardwalks.
The Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most spectacular places in all of Yellowstone. Norris is made up of 2 basins, the Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin.
They both contain beautiful thermal features with vibrant colors and hot temperatures for you to see. Some include Ledge Geyser, Cistern Spring, Echinus Geyser, Green Dragon Spring, Minute Geyser, and the famous Steamboat Geyser.
The combinations of boardwalks and trails allow you to reach these amazing sights. Many boardwalks and trails are mostly wheelchair accessible with some assistance while other areas are not.
There is also a museum so you can learn more about the history of the Basin. Make sure you make time to check out the Norris Geyser Basin on your next trip to Yellowstone!
Norris is known for having the hottest and most acidic thermal areas in the whole park reaching temperatures of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures of these pools also help determine the colors of these pools as well as the minerals and thermophiles(heat-loving organisms) found in them.
Sulfur is very common in these pools and contributes to the yellow colors seen in them. The sulfur in the water also contributes to the rotten egg smell you smell throughout the basin. Iron contributes to the red/orange/brown colors in these pools and algae contributes to the bright green color you see. These pools matched with their colors make them so beautiful.
These beautiful features also are known to change. Some geysers or features dry up or become dormant while brand new ones form. Events in the geological structures can cause these changes. Such as water passages getting blocked or even earthquakes. These changes could be very quick, or they can be very long. The pools and geysers can be very unpredictable with their changes and how active they are.
Steamboat Geyser
If you want to steamboat geyser erupt you will need to plan to spend some time waiting and watching or be really lucky. While the geyser has started erupting more frequently it does not erupt on a continuous schedule like Old Faithful Geyser does.
We saw people sitting under umbrellas who said they planned to spend hours waiting in hopes of seeing the geyser erupt.
Steamboat Geyser did not erupt for years! Currently, it seems to be going off about once a week though it has slowed down again significantly in the past year.
If you feel or hear that it is going to erupt you will want to make sure you have protection for your car. There are signs in the parking lot saying that the water that erupts from Steamboat Geyser can cause damage to cars in the parking lot.
The Steamboat Geyser is the tallest active geyser in the world! This powerful geyser throws water over 300 feet in the air soaking everything nearby. Visitors’ cars can even be damaged by the debris of the geyser.
The geyser is very unpredictable. The time between eruptions can be as short as a few days and as long as a few years. If you get lucky, you might get to see this once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Porcelain Basin
The Porcelain Basin is filled with many colors and smells. Beautiful colors of blue, orange, green, and more fill the pools in the basin. With close to 10 features, it is a beautiful view. You can travel the boardwalk or view it from the Porcelain Basin Overlook right past the museum.
Ledge Geyser
This geyser steams often but very rarely erupts. Although when it does, it can project water over 80 feet into the air. This geyser is located right at the bottom of the hill.
Constant Geyser
The Constant Geyser goes off very frequently sometimes only being quiet up to a few hours. Although its eruptions only last about 10 seconds, it can send water up to 30 feet in the air.
Whirligig Geyser
The Whirligig Geyser is an orangish-colored geyser due to the iron oxide. This geyser makes a loud pulsing sound from the bubbling water. This sound can be heard all around.
Pinwheel Geyser
The Pinwheel Geyser has not erupted in a long time but the runoff from Pinwheel and Whirligig is a beautiful sight. The different colors are from the different temperatures throughout the stream as it cools.
Porcelain Springs
This area is very inconsistent and unpredictable. At times it can be full of water and beautiful color or It can be completely dry.
Crackling Lake
This lake is very cool due to its crackling sound mentioned in the name. It can also be of different colors at times depending on the temperature of the water.
Hurricane Vent
Hurricane Vent is incredibly beautiful with its turquoise blue color. It is also known for large amounts of steam.
Congress Pool
The Congress pool is known for many things. It is known for its steaming, blue pool, murky spring, and dry venting. The pool can change between doing all these things.
It was named the Congress Pool in 1891 because of the Fifth International Geological Congress in Yellowstone.
Whale’s Mouth
This geyser is not regularly active at the moment. It was named due to the fact it resembled the mouth of a large fish.
Back Basin
The Back Basin is a larger area and has far more features than the Porcelain Basin. The boardwalks are much longer than the Porcelain Basin as well so be prepared to walk a bit.
This basin consists of over 20 features filled with many different colors and thermophiles that make up these beautiful pools. The area is much more spread out but much better for wheelchair accessibility.
Emerald Spring
This beautiful blue pool is rich in sulfur and super hot. Very few thermophiles can live in these extreme temperatures.
Cistern Spring
The Cistern Spring is a beautiful pool that can be blue or green. This spring is connected to the Steamboat Geyser. The steamboat geyser can empty the Cistern Spring after an eruption.
This spring is also extremely high in silica. This silica is the reason you see that the trees near the spring are dead.
Echinus Geysers
This Geyser is a red and orange color due to the iron in the pool. This is also an extremely acidic geyser. In fact, it is the largest acidic geyser known.
This geyser used to be regularly active but has now become less active only erupting every few months or even years.
Puff ‘n Stuff Geyser
This geyser typically steams and can shoot water a few feet into the air.
Green Dragon Spring
The Green Dragon Spring is very cool with its sulfur cave and its boiling pool. It can be blue, green, or often murky at times
Monarch Geyser
The Monarchs Geyser used to give off enormous eruptions. It was highly active between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. It slowly became dormant over the years with its last eruptions in the ’90s. It is now known to be blue or green and just gently flows with water.
Pork Chop Geyser
This geyser used to be a gentle hot spring until it exploded in September of 1989. It threw debris everywhere even over 200 feet in every direction. It is now a small gentle hot spring again and has not had any other eruptions since.
Minute Geyser
This geyser is very small and can shoot water only a few feet into the air. It is known to go off every few minutes but is very cool to see. The Minute Geyser used to erupt with much more power but was filled with coins and other objects by visitors at a time when stagecoaches were used.
Pearl Geyser
The Pearl Geyser is filled with vibrant colors and often empties and refills you can still see its amazing colors even when it is empty. At often times this geyser can shoot water around 8 feet high.
Blue Mud Steam Vent
This vent is known to be muddy and can be dry or full and overflowing at times. This vent used to be very strong and produce lots of steam.
Yellow Funnel Spring
The Yellow Funnel Spring is typically very murky and bubbles. At often times it can be dried up and steam as well. This spring used to be very rich with sulfur causing it to be a very colorful pool giving it its name.
Vixen Geyser
This geyser is smaller but can put out a great eruption going to heights up to 20 feet. When not erupting you can often hear it bubbling and see it steaming.
Corporal geyser
Corporal is right beside the boardwalk that typically has a blue or green tint to it. It is known to erupt often with intervals from a few minutes to days.
Veteran Geyser
This geyser can often have a milky blue color to it and goes off regularly. A lot of times you can see it bubble violently.
Palpitator Spring
The Palpitator Spring is known for its pulses seeming to almost beat like a heart. This geyser often has a cycle of draining then refilling and making the same pulsing sound again.
Yellowstone National Park Tours and Activities
Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
⭐️ Rating: 4.6 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 8 hours to 1 day | 🔊Check Rates and Availability
See the highlights of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park without worrying about going with a tour group. This audio tour lets you navigate the way to see what you are intrested in the most, or you can use a planned out itinerary. Plus, this audio tour works even if your smartphone doesen't have service or WIFI.
Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 11-12 hours | 🚌Check Rates and Availability
Leave the planning of a Yellowstone Adventure up to us and we'll have a spectacular day to savor in the world's first national park while you relax and take in the views. This tour focuses on Yellowstone's Lower Loop, including Hayden Valley, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and Gibbon Falls. Pick-up and drop-off are at your hotel with a provided lunch.
6-Mile Geyser Hiking Tour in Yellowstone with Lunch
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 6 hours | 🥾Check Rates and Availability
Marvel at the geothermal landscapes of Yellowstone National Park on this guided 6-mile (9.7km) hike. While most visitors stop at Old Faithful, this hike reveals even more of the park's natural wonders, passing hissing geysers and steam vents, and steamy hot springs. This hike is approximately six hours long from the Daisy Geyser Trailhead along the Firehole River as you look out for wildlife and refuel with a hearty picnic lunch along the way.
Full Day Private Fly Fishing in Yellowstone
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 8 hours | 🎣 Check Rates and Availability
The local guides know the ins and outs of the river system within Yellowstone National Park. Not only are we equipped with the equipment, knowledge, and permits to provide you with some additional or new understanding of fly fishing and they come with a zest and love for the ecosystem in which we are bringing you into. We will strive to make sure this is an adventure you will never forget.
Click here to find more great Yellowstone National Park Tours.
Norris Geyser Travel Tips
Make sure you have more water than you think you will want.
Sunscreen, a hat, and sun cover are definitely needed on sunny days. There is very little shade on a large portion of Norris Geyser Basin.
Prewarning we saw a lot of kids having major meltdowns. The hike up and down the hill was not fun for them and they were letting the world know it.
Wear shoes that are comfortable for hiking up and down a hill and on boardwalks in the heat.
Camera Gear we use
We are big fans of using great camera gear to get amazing photos while traveling.
Canon R5 - We recently upgraded to the R5 after using a Mark 5 for years. We are loving the camera shutter speed and quality of images.
Canon 100 - 500mm - We use the Canon 100-500 for wildlife photography.
Camera Rain Cover - A rain cover will help protect your camera during rain showers but also when photographing waterfalls.
Camera Cleaning Kit - Cameras can get dirty, beat up, and dusty while in the parks. We like having a cleaning kit with us so we can do on the spot touch ups.
Extra Camera Batteries - We suggest always having one or two extra camera batteries with you. There is nothing worse than going to take a shot and the battery dies.
Extra Memory Cards - We use Extreme PRO SanDisk cards
Where is Norris Geyser Basin?
Norris Geyser Basin is located right off of the main loop road in Yellowstone National Park.
Additional Yellowstone National Park Information & Resources
National Park Lodges available in Yellowstone National Park
There are nine National Park Lodges with over 2,000 rooms available in Yellowstone National Park. We suggest staying at a couple different lodges in different areas to provide easy access to different portions of the park.
Two lodges are open year-round including:
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins
🏨Ready to Book the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel -> Click Here
The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel has hotel rooms and cabin accommodations. (Cabins are seasonal) and steps away from Mammoth Hot Springs and a great option for exploring Lamar Valley and wildlife viewing.
The Old Faithful Snow Lodge
🏨Ready to Book the Old Faithful Snow Lodge -> Click Here
The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is a newer lodge in Yellowstone with several upgraded ammenities and just steps from Old Faithful, Geyser Hill, and the lower Geyser Basin!
Lodges that are open from late spring through fall include:
Canyon Lodge and Cabins:
🏨Ready to Book the Canyon Lodge and Cabins -> Click Here
This is a modern lodge that is located in Canyon Village with several dining options, a visitor center, gift shop, and close to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone Falls, Hayden Valley, and Norris Geyser Basin. Canyon Lodge has 400+ guest rooms spread across 5 hotel-style lodges, with 100+ cabins being more rustic accommodations.
Grant Village Lodge
🏨Ready to Book the Grant Village Lodge -> Click Here
You will love the EPIC views of Lake Yellowstone from the Lodge's two restaurants (make sure to get advance reservations for dinner) as the sunset is pretty epic and registered guests to the Grant Village Lodge can make reservations before anyone else! THe lodge is also in close proximity to Lake Yellowstone, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Lower Geyser Basin and Old Faithful, and Hayden Valley! Grant Village Lodge features 300 guest rooms spread across 6 two-story, hotel-style lodges.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins
🏨Ready to Book the Lake Yellowstone Hotel -> Click Here
I like to describe the Lake Yellowstone Hotel as understated luxury with amazing views of the lake. It is also close to Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Yellowstone Falls. lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations.
Lake Lodge Cabins:
🏨Ready to Book the Lake Lodge Cabins -> Click Here
I love staying in these cabins because everytime I have stayed here, it seems like there is wildlife everywhere, especially elk and bison! Thre is186 very cozy cabins located near Lake Yellowstone lodge.
Old Faithful Inn
🏨Ready to Book The Old Faithful Inn -> Click Here
The Old Faithful Inn is arguably the pinnacle of all National Park Lodges! It is a right-of-passage to stay here, especially for fans of the parks, especially fans of the lodges and the National Park Rustic "Parkitecture" design. If you can't get a room here, make sure to at least stop in and check out the lobby and perhaps have lunch in the dining room.
Old Faithful Lodge
🏨Ready to Book The Old Faithful Lodge -> Click Here
These Cabin accommodations are located about as close as you can get to Old Faithful itself! You can also walk right out and take the Geyser Hill Trail, a must for any first time visitor to Yellowstone.
Roosevelt Lodge and Cabins
🏨Ready to Book The Roosevelt Lodge -> Click Here
These Cabin accommodations is the closest lodging in the park you can get to Lamar Valley! Caution, these rooms are hard to get as they are very popular. They also have an Old West Dinner Cookout, offer horseback rides, and Stagecoach Adventures.
Lodging near Yellowstone NP
Lodging options in West Yellowstone, Montana
Gray Wolf Inn & Suites islocated close to the park's West Entrance, and provides a firepit, laundry facilities, and a 24-hour gym. They also offer a hot tub, free WIFI and a business center.
Stage Coach Inn has a free continental breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. They also have a sauna, free WIFI, a gym, and a 24-hour business center.
Yellowstone Westgate Hotel offers a free continental breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. They also have a hot tub, free WIFI, and a business center.
Brandin' Iron Inn is located close to the park's West Entrance, provides free full breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby and free WIFI.
Kelly Inn West Yellowstone - free continental breakfast, a free roundtrip airport shuttle, and a firepit. They also have a hot tub. free WIFI, laundry facilities and a business center.
Lodging options in Gardiner, Montana
Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel this campground has coffee/tea and a microwave in a common area. Free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi in public areas are also provided. Additionally, concierge services, a garden, and barbecue grills are onsite. All 17 accommodations boast heated floor (bathroom) and offer Wi-Fi and 8 bathrooms. Other amenities available to guests include memory foam beds, premium bedding, and rainfall showerheads. Private bathrooms are not ensuite.
Super 8 by Wyndham Gardiner provides dry cleaning/laundry services and more. Guests can connect to free in-room Wi-Fi.
Click on the maps below to see additional hotels and vacation rentals near Yellowstone NP.
Yellowstone National Park Entrance Fee
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 five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
Yellowstone Attractions
Old Faithful - Old Faithful is just down the road from the Midway Geyser Basin.
Firehole Lake Drive - Check out the Great Fountain Geyser, White Dome Geyser, and Firehole Lake on this beautiful scenic drive.
Biscuit Basin - Check out Black Opal Pool and the Jewel Geyser in Biscuit Basin.
Fountain Paint Pot - Explore the Fountain Paint Pot Trail to check out the Celestine Pool, Jet Geyser, Fountain Geyser, and Clepsydra Geyser.
Firehole Canyon Drive - Check out Firehole Falls and Firehole River Swimming Area on this great scenic drive.
Fairy Falls - Fairy Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Yellowstone. You can easily reach the falls by walking the Fairy Falls trail as it continues past the Grand Prismatic overlook.
Closest Campground
Check out all of the Yellowstone Campgrounds to help plan your time in the park.
Additional Yellowstone Resources
Yellowstone Lodging -Check out all of the lodges you can stay in while visiting Yellowstone NP.
Yellowstone Camping - Check out all of the campgrounds available within the park.
Things to do Yellowstone - Check out all of the top things to do in the park.
Yellowstone Facts - Learn more about the unique features in Yellowstone.
Free National Park Days - Check out all of the days the National Park Service waives park entrance fees.
National Parks in Wyoming - Check out all of the parks you can visit while in Wyoming.
Grand Teton Guide - Find out about all of the great things to see, where to stay, camping, and more
Make sure to follow Park Ranger John on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok
Leave a Reply