Yellowstone National Park receives about 4 million visitors per year, and Old Faithful is considered by many the No. 1 site. Old Faithful is the park’s biggest regularly erupting geyser, and it has the infrastructure — such as a visitor center and a large parking lot — to support tourism. While Old Faithful in the throes of eruption does not disappoint, viewing the geyser among throngs of tourists is not everyone’s cup of tea. Fortunately, Yellowstone is home to approximately 500 geysers, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to view a geyser without crowds.
On a recent trip, my friends and I dropped off our cars at the Old Faithful Visitor Center, but instead of sticking around for the eruption, we went in search of a different geyser on a private hike with Emily Jo Mahan, a co-owner and guide for Yellowstone Hiking Guides.
After a short drive to the Lone Star Geyser trailhead, Mahan went over safety best practices and loaded us up with gear — such as mosquito nets, hiking poles and homemade lunches. Ready for our backcountry 8-mile roundtrip trek, we followed a narrow trail through new forest that ultimately gave way to towering ancient trees. Finally, the trees parted, and we came upon a clearing. We were so excited to spot the cone-shaped geyser’s thick plumes of steam — with so few people around — we hardly cared that we missed the eruption (which was our fault due to our late start).
After our picnic lunch with a more-than-adequate show, Mahan took us on a different route back. Walking along Firehole River (which is directly opposite Lonestar Geyser), we spotted numerous geothermal features in varying colors, shapes and sizes. There, in the grass with no one — and no boardwalks around — each one felt like a lucky discovery.
The Details
Yellowstone Hiking Guides
www.yellowstonehikingguides.com
