Firehole Lake Scenic Drive

The Firehole Lake area in Yellowstone National Park, located between Madison Junction and the Upper Geyser Basin, is a bit spread out to walk, so most visitors will drive the 3-mile one-way loop road to see its key features. The first major thermal feature encountered, and one that relies on luck for the best show, is the Great Fountain Geyser. Not very predictable, its eruptions can occur as little as two hours apart or as much as 13. The good news is that once it starts erupting, it continues for 45 minutes or more. Just past this geyser is the White Dome Geyser, which erupts quite often but generally has a pretty puny display.

Firehole Lake itself has an extensive boardwalk and is worth a stop. The multi-colored streams and bubbling pools in the lake are set quite beautifully against the surrounding scenery. Two creeks flow through this basin, and the landscape is beautiful.