Just like Lake Shore Group also Potts Hot Spring Basin is closed to the public and can only be observed from a viewpoint close to the highway or by boat from the lake. The area is named after Daniel T. Potts, a trapper who mentioned the springs in a letter in 1827. Potts Hot Spring Basin is a very dynamic area. Over time, more than 40 geysers have been observed, most of which small, but some have shown eruptions of size and even got informal names, such as Resurgent Geyser, Mercurial Geyser, or Explosion Pool. Geyser activity is subjected to substantial changes, dependend on energy surges, usually lasting for only a relatively short period of time. Up until 1970 the main road along Yellowstone Lake traversed Potts Basin on the shore and there was also a boardwalk. However, the road has been rerouted and the boardwalk removed, so nowadays the area is no longer accessible to ordinary visitors. From the viewpoint you can overlook the Mercurial Group and small parts of the Beach Group. In contrast, the Empty Hole Group in the south is not visible.

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