VOLCANIC
SPRINGS

Upper Geyser Basin, Geyser Hill Group

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Online tours around Geyser Hill and adjacent groups are also to be found elsewhere on the web, not least on the official Yellowstone pages. Nevertheless, I decided to include it here in order to add some different viewpoints and to gain a little bit more completeness on this page.

Geyser Hill is the name of the elevated sinter terrace across Firehole River from Old Faithful Geyser. With over 50 geysers it's one of the most important hydrothermal spots in Yellowstone and also worldwide. Visitors are guided by a loop trail consisting of boardwalks. Coming from Old Faithful Geyser and walking counterclockwise, the first feature you come across on the righthand side of the trail is Dome Geyser. More precisely, only the huge sinter mound of Dome Geyser is visible from the boardwalk.

Dome Geyser Yellowstone
Sinter mound of Dome Geyser

Active periods of Dome Geyser may span several days, interrupted by quiet phases of some days up to weeks. The duration of the play ranges between some minutes and half an hour or even more, and almost always the first burst is the largest, reaching up to 9 m (30 feet). Dormancies as long as many years are also known, though.

Dome Geyser Yellowstone
Dome Geyser erupting on August 19th, 2017

To spot the impressive bowl of Dome Geyser you have to climb the hill in the northeast to Observation Point.

Dome Geyser Yellowstone
Dome Geyser, seen from the Observation Point

Northwest of Dome Geyser both Peanut Pool and Butterfly Spring don't gain much attention due to their low visibility. Peanut Pool, closer to the boardwalk, is a rarely active and weak spouting geyser, which seems to depend on Butterfly Spring. The latter had eruptions up to 15 m (50 feet) high in May 2003, but reduced its play thereafter to a more or less continuous, low splashing. Like Dome Geyser, Butterfly's crater can only be seen from the Observation Point, while rim and runoff of Peanut Pool are also visible from the boardwalk.

Butterfly Spring and Peanut Pool Yellowstone
Butterfly Spring (rear left of center) and Peanut Pool (near the upper edge of the photo), seen from the Observation Point

Peanut Pool Yellowstone
Peanut Pool, seen from the boardwalk

Infant Geyser, across the boardwalk from Peanut Pool, once was an alkaline, crystal clear geyser, erupting a few feet high simultaneously with Giantess Geyser. In 1964 the water chemistry changed from alkaline to acidic, causing a muddy gray appearance and Infant no longer showed eruptions.

Infant Geyser Yellowstone
Infant Geyser

The tallest geyser on Geyser Hill and one of the largest worldwide with eruption heights up to 60 m (200 feet) is Giantess Geyser. It is erupting only a few times per year on average, though. Far more common is a periodical boiling near the crater rim, as to be seen on the photo.

Giantess Geyser Yellowstone
Giantess Geyser boiling

The Observation Point also provides a look into Giantess Geyser's bowl.

Giantess Geyser and Dragon Geyser Yellowstone
Giantess Geyser (front right of center) and Dragon Geyser (rear right of center)

Located close to Giantess, Vault Spring plays up to 6 m (20 feet) high during a Giantess eruption. Rarely also idependent activity has been recorded.

Vault Spring and Giantess Geyser Yellowstone
Vault Spring in front of Giantess Geyser

Vaults neighbor to the west is the solely boiling Teakettle Spring.

Teakettle Spring Yellowstone
Teakettle Spring

Past Teakettle the elevated position of the boardwalk allows a glimpse of Dragon Geyser at some distance. Eruptions of Dragon Geyser are extremely rare.

Dragon Geyser Yellowstone
Dragon Geyser

Nearly half way between Dragon Geyser and Giantess Geyser the small Model Geyser can be spotted. It erupts at intervals of 5 to 20 minutes up to 1 m (4 feet) high.

Model Geyser Yellowstone
Model Geyser

The next eye-catching feature along the trail is Sponge Geyser. Although its frequent eruptions do only reach some centimeters / inches, it is officially accepted as a geyser. Note the small water spurt on top of the left rim, it doesn't emerge from the pool but from a separate vent embedded in the rim.

Sponge Geyser Yellowstone
Sponge Geyser

In the field beyond Sponge Geyser a number of further small geysers can be observed. Most obvious are the craters of Slot Geyser and Plate Geyser.

Slot Geyser and Plate Geyser Yellowstone
Slot Geyser on the lefthand side and Plate Geyser on the righthand side

Plate Geyser has been formed by the 1959 earthquake and is a quite irregular performer, playing up to 3 m (15 feet) high.

Plate Geyser Yellowstone
Plate Geyser, close-up

Plate Geyser Yellowstone
Plate Geyser erupting on August 13th, 2015

Like Plate also Slot Geyser is rarely seen playing, with heights of 1 m (3 feet). The vent is hidden in the crack (slot) on the left side of the small pool.

Slot Geyser Yellowstone
Slot Geyser, close-up

About 4 m (12 feet) to the east from Slot Geyser the vent of Boardwalk Geyser shows up, which was active from 1992 to 2006.

Boardwalk Geyser Yellowstone
Boardwalk Geyser

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