Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can continue to Solitary Geyser on this trail, which rejoins the Geyser Hill walkway, or
you can retrace your steps down from Observation Point.
The author learned to swim at the Old Faithful Swimming Pool, housed in this building.
Like Chinese Spring near Old Faithful Geyser,
Solitary Geyser
was misused in earlier
days, but in this case, the misuse was officially sanctioned. Its water was piped down to the
Old Faithful Geyser Baths, across the Firehole River from Beehive Geyser, beginning in 1915.
Its replacement, the Old Faithful Swimming Pool, was used until 1949. Solitary Geyser now
commonly erupts less than 6 feet (2 m) high every few minutes, and its water is definitely too
hot for bathing! Solitary's pool is surrounded by interesting geyserite egg formations.
Back on the main walkway
If you don't go to Observation Point, climb the paved trail along the river and take the left
fork (closer to the river) to walk around Geyser Hill and follow the route described here. (The
walkway to the right is described in the other direction on
pages 97-99
and labeled
(C)
on the
Upper Geyser Basin map.)
Sulphide Spring,
the first feature on your right after the walkways split, lives up to its
name by emitting a strong hydrogen sulphide odor. Its waters and those of nearby Infant Gey-
ser are acidic rather than alkaline, unlike most Geyser Hill springs.
After a perpetual spouter informally called Improbable Geyser is
Anemone Geyser,
named by geologist Walter Weed in the 1880s, whether for the sea anemone or for the flower,
no one is quite sure. The larger of the two vents, the one closer to the boardwalk, may erupt as
often as every seven to ten minutes, unless an extended eruption of the smaller one increases
the length of the intervals. It's entertaining to watch the larger crater fill with water, begin
splashing, erupt for a few seconds as high as 8 feet (2.5 m)—then drain away with a sucking
sound.
