Sight · Yellowstone National Park
That twisted cone is worth a stop even between eruptions.
Overview
Grotto Geyser is a low, oddly arched cone geyser in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin, in the Old Faithful area. It’s a good stop for the shape, even when it’s quiet; fold it into a longer basin walk rather than waiting here for a show. From the boardwalk, frame the arches with the central tower to show what makes this cone unusual.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth a stop on the basin walkMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yellowstone National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yellowstone audio tourRecorded for this place
Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin“You're approaching the Old Faithful area, and I'd make this more than a stop for one eruption. Check the next predicted window at the Visitor Education Center before you start walking.”
Plays as you drive up to Grotto Geyser in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“First time driving through a national park. We used the Yellowstone tour on grand loop Road and it’s just like having a tour guide in your car with you.”
Guide
Reach it along the paved route from Old Faithful toward Morning Glory Pool or by the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk past Grand Geyser. Stay on the boardwalks and marked trails. Hydrothermal ground can be dangerously hot, and hot water can cause severe burns.
The Washburn party named Grotto during its 1870 visit to Upper Geyser Basin. The cone may have formed as silica-rich spring water coated tree trunks, leaving arching forms and a standing central trunk. That’s a proposed explanation, not a settled account.
Grotto’s eruptions can last a long time; descriptions vary from about ten minutes to a day or more. Nearby Grotto Fountain, South Grotto Fountain and Indicator Spring sometimes show activity before Grotto starts, while Rocket Geyser has been seen erupting alongside it. These are changing patterns, not a schedule, so don’t build a day around a predicted start.
Wildlife
713 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
743 sightingsWolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
5,273 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
3,258 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
397 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,494 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyBlack Sand Basin Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 0.9 mi awayShort boardwalk spurs past colorful hot springs and geysers.
ModerateObservation Point–Solitary Geyser Loop1.9 mi · 2 hr · 1 mi awayA short climb trades switchbacks for Old Faithful from above.
EasyOld Faithful to Morning Glory Pool Trail2.7 mi · 2 hr · 1 mi awayA level geyser walk ends at a spring changed by its visitors.
EasyBiscuit Basin Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 1.1 mi awayA short boardwalk loop through Yellowstone's blue pools and geysers.
EasyGeyser Hill Loop Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 1.1 mi awayCompact boardwalk loop past geysers, vivid springs, and steaming runoff.
ModerateMystic Falls Trail2.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA creekside forest walk to a 70-foot waterfall.
ModerateMallard Lake Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayPipeline Hot Springs and a Firehole crossing lead to Mallard Lake.
EasyFern Cascade Loop Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA short woods loop slips down to a hidden cascade.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayGiant GeyserEruptions can top 250 feet, but there’s no showtime to plan around.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayRiverside GeyserRiverside sends its eruption arcing across the Firehole River.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayDaisy GeyserA 75-foot geyser can shoot sideways across the basin.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayFan and Mortar GeysersTwo riverbank geysers share a system; eruptions are a bonus.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayOblong GeyserAt least 10,000 gallons spill into the Firehole when this pool erupts.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayMorning Glory PoolA vivid hot spring at the end of a worthwhile basin walk.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayBeauty and Chromatic PoolsTwo hot springs with water levels that move in opposite directions.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayGrand GeyserOne to four bursts, sometimes up to 200 feet high.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
