Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plume Geyser,
a short distance from Anemone and on the opposite side of the boardwalk,
was created by a small steam explosion in 1922, then made itself a new vent in another ex-
plosion 50 years later. Plume plays up to 25 feet (7.5 m) in a plume or feathery jet that spews
water at an angle about every hour. Plume is prone to some erratic behavior, including “sleep-
ing” at night (erupting only in the daytime) and experiencing extended dormant periods.
Beehive Geyser jets 150 to 200 feet (45-60 m).
The eruptions of
Beehive Geyser*
are a glorious sight but not really predictable. Nonethe-
less, the activity of an indicator geyser a few feet away sometimes gives ranger-interpreters a
chance to alert visitors to an impending eruption. Although not totally reliable, the indicator
has been noted in writings about the park since 1875 or earlier. It usually starts erupting 10
to 25 minutes before Beehive, allowing people around the visitor center to get to Geyser Hill
or at least to the viewing benches north of Old Faithful and next to the river in time for the
eruption. Beehive erupts once or twice a day for about five minutes.
Historian Hiram Chittenden wrote of Beehive in the late nineteenth century: “The sym-
metry of its cone is only surpassed by the regularity of its water column. From an artistic point
of view it is the most perfect geyser in the Park.” Beehive's needle of water is breathtaking even
from a distance; the roar of the steam is an extra thrill when you're standing close.
