Old Faithful shows Yellowstone's most famous geyser as a low sinter cone at the center of the Upper Geyser Basin, with runoff channels and nearby steam vents scattered around it. Toggle the timed eruption cycle and the thermophile-colored runoff channels.
Published figures: eruptions typically reach about 106 to 185 ft (32-56 m), averaging around 130 ft; intervals between eruptions average around 90 minutes; the Upper Geyser Basin holds over 150 geysers, the densest geyser field on Earth.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Old Faithful 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Old Faithful as a low sinter cone at the center of Yellowstone's Upper Geyser Basin, surrounded by runoff channels and a scatter of smaller steam vents. Toggle the timed eruption cycle to watch a sped-up plume rise from the vent, and toggle the runoff channel colors to see the thermophile-tinted bands that radiate outward.
Old Faithful is not Yellowstone's tallest or most regular geyser, but it is by far the most famous, thanks to eruptions predictable enough that park rangers post forecasts. Eruptions typically shoot about 106 to 185 ft (32 to 56 m) into the air, averaging around 130 ft, and last 1.5 to 5 minutes. The interval between eruptions ranges from about 44 to 125 minutes, averaging around 90 minutes - though that average has lengthened somewhat over recent decades, a shift NPS and USGS scientists partly link to earthquake-related changes deep in the underground plumbing. The geyser sits in the Upper Geyser Basin, home to the highest concentration of geysers anywhere on Earth: over 150 within about one square mile.
- Toggle the eruption cycle to watch a sped-up steam plume rise and fade from the vent
- Toggle the runoff channel colors to see the thermophile-mat tint that radiates along the basin's drainage channels
- Read height, duration, interval, and basin figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Eruption height | typically about 106 to 185 ft (32 to 56 m), averaging around 130 ft (40 m) |
| Eruption duration | about 1.5 to 5 minutes |
| Interval between eruptions | about 44 to 125 minutes, averaging around 90 minutes - intervals have lengthened somewhat in recent decades |
| Vent water temperature | about 204 F (95.5 C) |
| Water ejected per eruption | roughly 3,700 to 8,400 US gallons (about 14,000-32,000 L) |
| Location | Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - elevation about 7,349 ft (2,240 m) |
| Upper Geyser Basin | the highest concentration of geysers on Earth - over 150 within about 1 sq mile |
| Heritage | Yellowstone, established 1872, is the world's first national park; Old Faithful was named in 1870 |
For another Yellowstone thermal feature, open the Grand Prismatic Spring 3D Explorer to see its ringed rainbow colors, or for another dramatic eruptive landform try the Mount Vesuvius 3D Explorer.
The whole scene - the basin flat, the sinter cone, the scattered steam vents, and the runoff channels - is built and drawn on your own device with WebGL through the site-vendored three.js engine. Orbit the scene to see the cone and channels, and toggle the eruption cycle to watch a sped-up plume rise from the vent. Nothing about your visit is uploaded to a server, and the engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is then cached.
This is an educational approximation, sped up for demonstration - the basin relief, sinter cone, and eruption timing are schematic teaching cues, not survey data or a real-time forecast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall does Old Faithful's eruption get?
Typically about 106 to 185 ft (32 to 56 m), averaging around 130 ft (40 m), lasting 1.5 to 5 minutes.
How often does Old Faithful erupt?
The interval between eruptions ranges from about 44 to 125 minutes, averaging around 90 minutes - predictable enough that park rangers post forecasts, though the average interval has lengthened somewhat in recent decades.
Is Old Faithful the biggest geyser in Yellowstone?
No. It is not the tallest or the most regular geyser in the park - it is famous for how reliably predictable its eruptions are, in a basin with over 150 other geysers.
How hot is the water?
About 204 F (95.5 C) at the vent, ejecting roughly 3,700 to 8,400 US gallons (about 14,000-32,000 L) per eruption.
What is the Upper Geyser Basin?
The section of Yellowstone National Park holding Old Faithful and the highest concentration of geysers anywhere on Earth - over 150 geysers within about one square mile.
Is this a real-time eruption forecast?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures, sped up for demonstration - the basin relief, sinter cone, and eruption timing are schematic teaching cues, not survey data or a live prediction feed.