Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone NP

Norris Geyser Basin is one of Yellowstone's oldest, hottest, and most unpredictable thermal regions. Geysers form and disappear here. Norris Geyser Basin features the unpredictable Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest, which erupts to over 300 feet in height! Numerous colorful hot spring pools are home to a wealth of microscopic life, in one of the most extreme places on earth. Norris Museum provides educational information about the geothermal basin. Hissing steam vents, bubbling springs, and strong sulfurous smells make Norris Geyser Basin a Yellowstone experience not to be missed! Norris is just 28 miles from West Yellowstone, Montana.

Thermal features at Norris Geyser Basin

Back Basin

Emerald Spring: This spring is is 27 feet deep. Clear blue water and yellow sulfur on the crater walls combine for a brilliant green color in Emerald Spring.

Steamboat Geyser: Steamboat is the worlds tallest active geyser, erupting to over 300 feet in height, thundering for hours after its rare eruptions.

Echinus Geyser: This geyser erupts every 35 to 75 minutes, so viewing this 40 to 60 foot eruption is a likely experience for visitors. Echinus is a rare acid-water geyser; and the largest in the world.

Green Dragon Spring: This is a picturesque sulfur-lined cave filled with boiling green water.

Porkchop Geyser: Porkchop geyser came to life in recent decades after a long existence as a much smaller feature. In 1989, Porkchop exploded, throwing rocks more than 200 feet away. It is now a gentle, bubbling hot spring.

Minute Geyser: Once a powerful geyser, Minute geyser now only spouts 1 ft above its crater.

Porcelain Basin

Norris Museum Overlook: Porcelain Basin offers hundreds of tightly gathered thermal features, offering steaming sounds and bright, colorful sights.

Porcelain Terrace Overlook: Hydrothermal explosions have brought many thermal features to life in this area of the Norris Geyser Basin. New, unpredictable, and older, more permanent features are intermingled here.