Are you wondering, “Should I visit Norris Geyser Basin?” The answer, in my humble opinion, is yes. It’s hard to imagine a scenario more variable and subject to change than Norris Geyser Basin, a hydrothermal area among the hottest in Yellowstone with a constantly transforming landscape. Here, water movement and seismic activity visibly alter the landscape, so much so that new hot springs and geysers emerge each year, while others become dormant. This continuous telluric movement contributes to the formation of one of Yellowstone’s most spectacular landscapes that, in my humble opinion, is just as fantastic as the more famous Upper Geyser Basin.
The Norris Geyser Basin is divided into two basins: the Porcelain Basin, smaller but more fascinating, and the Back Basin, which hosts the active geyser with the highest jet in the world (Steamboat Geyser). Unfortunately, in this area, the eruption of geysers is not predictable, so if you want to enjoy a live eruption you’ll have to get lucky or fall back on the Old Faithful area.
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Where is Norris Geyser Basin and how to get there?
The Norris Basin is the northernmost of all the other hydrothermal basins in the geyser area; it is the first one you will encounter if you come from West Yellowstone and, due to its location, it is often a good idea to visit it on the same day you visit Mammoth Hot Springs. Below is a breakdown of the distances to the individual entrances:
- West Entrance (West Yellowstone): 28 miles
- North Entrance (Gardner): 26 miles
- South Entrance (Grand Teton): 68 miles
- North-East Entrance (Cooke City): 40 miles
- East Entrance (Cody): approximately 40 miles. From Cody about 60 miles
As always in Yellowstone, travel times are to be considered in principle (if you haven’t yet, read my directions on getting around Yellowstone). The best entrance is West Yellowstone, a good base to visit the other main attractions of the park (here is my Yellowstone 3/4 days itinerary). In the Norris Geyser area, there is also find a small museum, a library, 2 bathrooms, and parking areas for both cars and campers.
When to visit
To visit Norris Geyser Basin, first of all, take a look at our advice about the best time to visit Yellowstone. Moreover, it’s good to consider other 2 aspects:
- there are many parts of the trail exposed to the sun and the heat is intense in peak hours. It is therefore best to arrive in the morning or evening.
- the number of tourists visiting this attraction is not comparable to Old Faithful. However, the basin is very busy and it may take a while to find parking. As with the Upper Geyser Basin and other popular attractions, the best thing to do is to arrive early in the morning, however, you can’t visit all of Yellowstone top attractions in the morning, so you will have to make a choice and you may not be able to afford to visit Norris Basin as your first attraction of the day. In this case, you can rest assured that it is much better to find some traffic here than at Old Faithful or Artist Point (Yellowstone Grand Canyon).
How long to spend at Norris Geyser Basin?
How long to hike Norris Geyser Basin? For a complete visit of both basins you should allow 2 hours, however, if you skip the less interesting parts, you can do it in a little more than an hour (see the next part about the recommended route). The museum and the bookshop near the entrance are quite small and will not take up much of your time. All along the route, there are the inevitable wooden walkways that will allow you to explore the basin without too much effort.
What to see at Norris Geyser Basin? Map and attractions
The things to see are the same as any other geothermal area in Yellowstone: geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, sulfur springs, and boiling mud. You can pick up the map below for $1 at the museum and use it as a reference guide for your visit. Here is the route I recommend you follow so you don’t miss out on the best:
Recommended route
When you arrive at the museum, head towards Porcelain Basin; from the hill you’ll immediately get a good look at what’s ahead (if you’re wondering where the Porcelain Basin Overlook is, you’re standing on it). Instead of following the route taken by the majority of tourists who go straight down towards the fumaroles at the bottom, I suggest you turn right, pass Congress Pool, and go to enjoy what in my opinion is the real jewel in the crown of this basin (and which many miss): Porcelain Springs.
What awaits you is an incredible multicolored expanse of geysers and hot springs. The impression is that of being in front of an immense painter’s palette that you can enjoy in relative peace and quiet because many tourists skip this point at the drop of a hat. Continue down the trail to the Porcelain Basin circular walk, taking a few photos of the Ledge Geyser and the surrounding landscape.
Return to the museum, cross it and turn right at the fork. In this more verdant part, one of the most beautiful hot springs in the basin, Emerald Spring, awaits you (the name gives you a good idea of what awaits you). Continuing on, you’ll encounter the Steamboat Geyser, but unless you’re really lucky, you’ll just have to imagine its massive spray.
As you continue downhill you’ll notice Cistern Spring, a hot spring surrounded by bare trees that you’ll be tempted to photograph from every possible angle. At this point you will have to choose whether to turn right or left; I recommend the latter, so you can enjoy a nice view of Echinus Geyser, which is striking for its width and reddish color.
At this point, you may decide to turn back because in my opinion you have already visited the best things about the basin. Why not take a different way back: go back to Cistern Spring, go straight on and then turn right just after the Corporal Geyser. This way, you will be able to see some other points of interest (Veteran Geyser, Palpitator Spring, Fearless Geyser, Monarch Geyser Crater, Minute Geyser) and above all you can climb up the valley on a path with more shade.
If, however, you want to see the rest of the Back Basin, simply carry on to the Echinus Geyser and follow the loop. The landscape that awaits you in this more remote area is rather barren, with numerous burned trees and bare ground that combine to create an almost apocalyptic scenario. I think the area is attractive and although the geysers and hot springs you will encounter are less interesting than those encountered so far, Green Dragon Spring is still worth a short stop.
Where to stay nearby
As mentioned, the best area to sleep outside the park when visiting Norris Geyser Basin is in the town of West Yellowstone at the West Entrance. Here are our tips for sleeping in West Yellowstone. If you prefer to sleep inside the park, the best areas are the following:
- Old Faithful -> our tips for finding accommodation in this area
- Lake Yellowstone Village -> our advice for finding accommodation in this area
For an overview of all the options for staying both inside and outside the park, please read our article, linked below:
