VOLCANIC
SPRINGS

West Thumb Geyser Basin, Lake Shore Group

Lake Shore Group adjoins Lower Group, the publicly accessible part of West Thumb Basin, to the north. However, features of Lake Shore Group are not visible from West Thumb Basin Trail. To spot them, you have to head north for the next roadway turnout on the east side of the highway. Fortunately this turnout is very elongated, so there is plenty of room to observe a large section of the group. The thermal area itself is closed to public entry.

Lake Shore Group Yellowstone
Section of Lake Shore Group with Mantrap Cone peninsula and Yellowstone Lake in background

From the roadway turnout Lone Pine Geyser is the northernmost visible feature of the Lake Shore Group. The name-giving lone pine already died in 1988. With water jets up to 23 m (75 feet) Lone Pine Geyser is one of the largest geysers at West Thumb, but it erupts only once every few days.

Lone Pine Geyser Yellowstone
Lone Pine Geyser

The next notable feature to the south is Occasional Geyser. From a pretty ornamented bowl and from an elliptical pool west of it Occasional Geyser plays approximately every 30 minutes up to 3 m (10 feet) high.

Occasional Geyser Yellowstone
Occasional Geyser

South of Occasional Geyser the lake shore offers two further interesting sights, even if these springs are neither named nor listed in the RCN Database.

Spring south of Occasional Geyser Yellowstone
Spring south of Occasional Geyser

Spring north of Goggle Spring Yellowstone
Spring farther south of Occasional Geyser

At a distance of circa 300 m (1000 feet) south of Occasional Geyser, Mantrap Cone forms a small peninsula. A few feet in front of the prominent structure a further unnamed, quiet spring can be spotted.

Spring northwest of Mantrap Cone Yellowstone
Unnamed spring close to Mantrap Cone

Due to the large distance to the roadway Mantrap Cone itself is only barely visible. The name of this quiet hot spring origins in the fact that in the past several fishermen, who used Mantrap Cone as a platform were burned by its hot water. Even more horrifying was the misstep of a 36-year-old fisherman from Utah in July 1939, which dispatched him into Mantrap Cone's pool, where he was scalded to death.

Mantrap Cone Yellowstone
Mantrap Cone

Less than 60 m (200 feet) southwest of Mantrap Cone the next named geyser appears, which is, unfortunately, not recognizable from the road. Goggle Spring, consisting of two small, connected pools, erupts rarely but still up to 2 m (6 feet) high.

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