Visitor center · Yellowstone National Park
A historic ranger station at the start of West Thumb’s geyser-basin walk.
Overview
Map
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
West Thumb Geyser Basin“You're nearing West Thumb Geyser Basin, where the boardwalk puts hot springs beside the open water of Yellowstone Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to West Thumb Information Station 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
West Thumb Information Station is a small historic ranger station on Yellowstone Lake’s western shore, a few miles north of Grant Village. It stands at the start of the West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalks, so it makes a brief orientation stop before you explore the thermal basin. When operating, the station provides maps and park information, ranger help, and a Yellowstone Forever bookstore.
Built in 1925, it is an example of Yellowstone’s historic ranger-station architecture. The original open breezeway was enclosed in 1966, changing the building’s plan. This is a modest, practical park station rather than a large interpretive center.
Reach it from Grand Loop Road, several miles north of Grant Village. A paved parking area serves West Thumb Geyser Basin, and the facility is listed as wheelchair accessible. The basin boardwalks and their lake-edge geothermal scenery are the main reason to stop; treat the station as a short supporting visit, with maps or ranger assistance as a bonus when it is open.
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
EasyWest Thumb Geyser Basin Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · At the trailheadA short lakeside boardwalk through vivid hot springs and geysers.
ModerateYellowstone Lake Overlook Trail1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · At the trailheadClimb to a broad lake-and-Absaroka view above West Thumb
ModerateDuck Lake Trail0.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA short climb opens views over Duck Lake and the 1988 burn.
EasyRiddle Lake Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 4 mi awayA mostly level walk to lily pads and Mount Sheridan views.
Sight · At the trailheadWest Thumb Geyser BasinA boardwalk loop between steaming pools and Yellowstone Lake.
Picnic area · At the trailheadWest Thumb Picnic AreaA handy picnic break beside the West Thumb geyser basin.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayGrant Village CampgroundA pine-forest base near Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb.
Picnic area · 1.6 mi awayGrant Village Picnic AreaA lakeside picnic stop with 16 tables and fire grates.
Visitor center · 1.8 mi awayGrant Visitor CenterPark services and a lake view make this a useful southern stop.
Restaurant · 1.9 mi awayGrant Village Lake House RestaurantA seasonal meal stop with a wide West Thumb view.
Gas station · 2 mi awayGrant Village Gas and Service StationFuel, propane and seasonal repair help on the south shore.
Lodging · 2 mi awayGrant Village LodgeSleep near West Thumb, with two restaurants on-site.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
