Well, my friends, we’re only six minutes from one of the most iconic images in North America. Good old, ol’ reliable, ever faithful, Old Faithful.

So, while we have the time…How’s about a Shaka Guide science lesson!

Now, what exactly is a geyser? Well, if you visited the West Thumb Geyser Basin, you might remember that miles and miles underneath Yellowstone’s surface, there are chambers full of hot magma, and this magma heats the underground water. Then the water escapes through thin cracks, kinda like natural pipes or drinking straws that are made of a silica-rich volcanic rock called Rhyolite. The pressure builds up, until the water is forced to the surface, and then it erupts into the sky.

When Old Faithful erupts, the spray can reach up to 180 feet. It lasts between one-and-a-half to five minutes, and it expels as much as 8,400 gallons of water. And the water temperature? We’re talkin’ around 96 degrees celsius, or 204 degrees fahrenheit.

As you can imagine, it’s an incredible sight to behold. 

Now as I’ve said before, there are about five hundred active geysers in Yellowstone National Park. And Old Faithful is NOT the largest. That distinction belongs to Steamboat Geyser in the northwest corner of the park. That distinction belongs to Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin. Old Faithful also isn’t the most frequently erupting geyser. 

Not so faithful, it turns out. That prize goes to the Daisy Geyser, which is only a mile away from Old Faithful in the same geyser basin.

So, what makes Old Faithful so special, then? For starters, it was one of the first to ever be observed by non-native explorers.

In 1870, the Washburn-Langford-Doane [doe-n] expedition came across the place we now call the Upper Geyser Basin. Nathaniel Langford wrote the following in his journal.

"It spouted at regular intervals nine times during our stay, the columns of boiling water being thrown from ninety to one hundred and twenty-five feet at each discharge, which lasted from fifteen to twenty minutes. We gave it the name of "Old Faithful."

Back when Yellowstone National Park was still in its infancy, some people actually used Old Faithful as their own personal washing machine. 

They’d throw their dirty clothes into the geyser, and when it erupted, they’d come back to freshly steam-cleaned laundry! How convenient!

But, someone inevitably ruined it for everybody else. People started throwing all kinds of things into Old Faithful just to watch them shoot up into the sky, and those foreign objects began to damage the geyser’s delicate Rhyolite. Eventually, park officials had to block off the area, so visitors now have to keep a safe distance away, and do their own laundry.

Hey, don’t worry. You’ll still get a great look at Old Faithful from the viewing area, even if it’s crowded. Though, you may have to wait for it.

Old Faithful usually erupts every 60 to 110 minutes, but it’s not an exact science. In recent years, the eruptions have gotten shorter, and the intervals further apart. Yellowstone is always changing, and Old Faithful is no different. 

So, how can you tell when Old Faithful is ready to blow? Look for the bubbling. A few minutes before it bursts forth in all its glory, Old Faithful will begin to bubble and spew small water jets. It’s just a little teaser before we get to the good stuff. So keep your eyes peeled for the bubbling, and prepare to be amazed!