The hottest temperatures in Yellowstone were recorded here in the Norris Geyser Basin: 459°F (237°C). Believed to be 115,000 years old, the area’s geothermal features—vents, geysers, and fumaroles—are unpredictable, even more so than most of the park.
Two miles (3.2 kilometers) of boardwalks crisscross the basin, with many visitors pressing their luck at witnessing the never-timely Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest. There’s also Echinus Geyser (the largest geyser in the world), Porkchop Geyser, Emerald Spring, and dozens of other steamy, sulphur-y marvels to gawk at. There’s a large parking lot on site, restrooms, and the Norris Geyser Basin Museum for amenities.
Steamboat Geyser has been pretty active since 2018—cross your fingers on your visit.
The parking lot can fill; come early in the day to nab a spot.
Overflow parking is approximately a half-mile (.8 kilometers) from the basin.
Portions of the basin are wheelchair-accessible with assistance.
The Norris Geyser Basin sits at the junction between the Upper and Lower Loops of the Grand Loop Road on the park's western side. It can be accessed from May through November via the Grand Loop and Norris Canyon Road. You can access it in winter via tour, snowshoe, snowmobile, or cross-country skis.
Most visitors will experience Yellowstone’s Norris Geyser Basin from May through November when the main roads are open. Avoid summer (June through August), and you’ll avoid the brunt of the park’s crowds. If you can visit in winter and go to the basin, odds are you’ll have it mostly to yourself.
Almost everything is boiling at Norris Geyser Basin—this place is hot, hot, hot. It sits at the intersection of two faults plus a ring fracture, which makes this basin incredibly steamy, chaotic, and dynamic. Features can switch form, like from hot spring to fumarole, or dramatically change their eruption schedules. There’s always some sort of show going on at Norris Geyser Basin.
