Old Faithful Geyser Audio Guides

Old Faithful Geyser stands in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin, north of Jackson. Members of the 1870 Washburn–Langford–Doane expedition gave it its name after observing its frequent eruptions. When Yellowstone became a national park in 1872, Old Faithful grew into one of its best-known sights and an enduring symbol of the park’s geothermal landscape. Indigenous peoples had known and traveled through the Yellowstone region long before the park was established. Heat from the volcanic system beneath Yellowstone drives the geyser: underground water warms, builds pressure, and bursts into a column of water and steam. Eruptions occur roughly every 90 minutes on average, though intervals vary. That relative regularity lets park staff post predictions, helping visitors gather to watch without treating any eruption time as guaranteed.