Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The road crosses the Firehole River bridge and follows the upper Firehole River, head-
ing upstream past the Spring Creek Trail junction (1.6 miles) to end at the steep-sided, 9ft-
tall
Lone Star Geyser
, after an easy 2.4 miles. Check the NPS logbook (in the wooden
information box in front of the geyser) to gauge exactly when the next eruption might oc-
cur; if you catch an eruption, fill in the log for future visitors. If you have time to kill, con-
sider following a section of the trail to
Shoshone Lake
(
Click here
)
to check out the
minor thermal areas along the Firehole River.
To completely avoid the crowds, consider taking the quieter but hillier
Howard Eaton
Trail
(OK2) from 1 mile south of the Old Faithful overpass, as an alternative (if slightly
longer) 5.8-mile return route. The trail joins the Shoshone Lake trail 0.3 miles beyond
Lone Star geyser. You could take one route in and the other out if you can arrange a
vehicle shuttle.
For nearby backcountry campsites and the overnight trip to Shoshone Lake,
Click here
.
Fairy Falls & Twin Buttes
Duration
3-4 hours
Distance
6 miles
Difficulty
Easy
Elevation Change
Negligible
Start/Finish
Fairy Falls Trailhead (OK5;
Click here
)
Nearest Town/Junction
Old Faithful
Summary
A short jaunt to one of the most accessible backcountry cascades, with views
over the park's most beautiful thermal feature and one of the largest backcountry geysers.
