If you have gotten hold of one of the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins for your Yellowstone visit, then you find the Pipeline Meadows Group located more or less exclusively in your backyard beyond Firehole River. Although there is no trail into the group and it is closed to public entry, from the raised cabin area several good vantage points allow to observe thermal activity within most sections of Pipeline Meadows Group.

The most important geyser of Pipeline Meadows Group, Dilapidated Geyser, is to be found on the hillside in the northwest on a clearance in the pine tree forest. It is the westernmost detectable feature of the group. From a historical point of view, Dilapidated Geyser is a very rare performer and has long periods of dormancy. It is also a comparatively old geyser, and its badly weathered cone, sitting enthroned above a partly undercutting crater, gave rise to the name. However, since the 2010s active phases seem to be increasing, so we were lucky to experience eruptions of Dilapidated Geyser during our stay in July 2024.

The first surges raised obliquely from the hidden crater beyond the visible cone.

Then the gush increasingly straightened up until it jetted vertically upwards.

Within only a few seconds the eruption reached its final height. The play lasted for 6 minutes, while the interval between the two eruptions we saw was 1 h and 18 min. Since the activity of Dilapidated is known to be cyclic, the observed eruptions probably belonged to a cycle, and further cycles may have preceded or followed.

Dilapidated is not the only geyser in this group, but the chance to observe further ones is quite poor. Either they are obscured from view or they are of insignificant height or they are playing very rarely. Mostly all of this applies at the same time. A perpetual spouter, on the other hand, is easy to see. The somewhat larger crater with the cryptic designations UPMGNN041 or UNNG-PMG-5 sits directly across the river as seen from the cabin area and is constantly active. Heights range between 30 and 50 cm (1-2 ft).

Although Stiletto Geyser and Midas Spring, two features with a somewhat distant history of low geyser eruptions, are not too far away from UPMGNN041, I couldn't find any vantage point that would have given me a clear view of this springs. In addition, the vent of Stiletto lives up to its name by being only a narrow slot in the plain ground and would be difficult to detect anyway.

Bend Cone, a prominent mound with two separate springs atop, marks the southeast corner of Pipeline Meadows Group. Parts of the mound can easily be spotted despite of some trees blocking the direct viewline, however, the presence of the two springs is only betrayed by rising vapor. They usually play as small perpetual spouters, but occansional and likewise low rising geyser activity is known.

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