Observation Point and the Upper Geyser Basin

The walk starts from the parking lots by the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center. It skirts Old Faithful on the boardwalk, crosses the Firehole River and climbs a short, steep forest path to Observation Point, which looks down on Old Faithful. The path carries on to Solitary Geyser and drops to the Geyser Hill boardwalk. From there the loop follows the basin north, past geysers such as Grand, Grotto and Riverside, to Morning Glory Pool, and comes back by a different path past Castle Geyser.

It is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) loop with 250 feet (75 m) of climbing; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: boardwalks and paved paths, with one short, steep climb to Observation Point.

Stay on the boardwalks and marked trails: the ground around the springs is a thin crust over scalding water. Never throw anything into the pools; objects thrown into Morning Glory Pool have clogged its vents and faded its colors. Pets are not allowed on boardwalks or trails. Stay at least 25 yards from bison and elk and 100 yards from bears and wolves, and carry bear spray on the forest path.

The road from the West Entrance to Old Faithful is open to cars until October 31 in 2026, and the visitor center closes for the season the same day.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.