The multicolored springs and fountains along a pleasant 1-mile loop hike southwest of Norris are interesting, but it's the ill-mannered belching and farting mud puddles that inspire visitors to say things like, 'This is way more fun than a geyser.'
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.07 MILES
The imposing Lower and Upper Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are the highlight of the Mammoth region. An hour’s worth of boardwalks wind their way between…
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16.68 MILES
While Old Faithful gets the most attention, there's lots to explore in Upper Geyser Basin, which has the densest collection of geysers in Yellowstone. On…
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12.72 MILES
At 370ft wide and 121ft deep, Grand Prismatic Spring is the park’s largest and deepest hot spring. It’s also considered by many to be the most beautiful…
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28.62 MILES
Of Lamar Valley's abundant wildlife, the most famous – and to some, controversial – resident is the gray wolf. Wolves were missing from the ecosystem…
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Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
17.84 MILES
This nonprofit organization offers an alternative for ‘pest’ grizzlies facing extermination and captive-born wolves that can't survive in the wild. Here…
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Canyon Visitor Education Center
12.56 MILES
This major center is well worth a visit for its innovative and interactive displays on Yellowstone’s geology. The highlight is a room-sized relief model…
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12.99 MILES
Artist Point is probably the most famous of the canyon’s viewpoints, offering a long overview of the Lower Falls and canyon. It was not, as many people…
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2.84 MILES
Norris Geyser Basin comprises Porcelain Basin and Back Basin, accessed through two connecting loops. If the world's tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser, isn…
Nearby Yellowstone National Park attractions
2.58 MILES
Two miles of boardwalks and gentle trails snake through Norris' forested Back Basin. The main show here is Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active…
2.81 MILES
This tiny museum was the park's first, opening in 1930. Displays focus on the underground plumbing that makes Yellowstone's thermal features so unique.
2.84 MILES
Norris Geyser Basin comprises Porcelain Basin and Back Basin, accessed through two connecting loops. If the world's tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser, isn…
2.94 MILES
One mile of boardwalks loop through Porcelain Basin, the park’s hottest exposed basin. (The name comes from the area’s milky deposits of sinter, also…
5. Museum of the National Park Ranger
3.62 MILES
The historic log Norris Soldier Station (1908), one of only three stations left from the era of the park's army control, now houses this small museum,…
10.37 MILES
Just beyond the Fountain Flat Dr parking lot is this pool, which empties into the river. Just south of the bridge is the trail to Sentinel Meadows.
10.69 MILES
Just past pretty Silex Spring, Fountain Paint Pot is a huge bowl of plopping goop that ranks as one of the biggest in the park. The action is sloppiest in…
12.15 MILES
The first of the North Rim viewpoints leads down a steep 0.75-mile trail, descending 600ft for exciting close-up views of the tumbling white water as the…