Oblong Geyser

What makes Oblong so impressive is the volume of water it discharges during an eruption.

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Oblong Geyser Details

We mentioned earlier that not only are geysers extremely rare and unique, but each individual geyser has its own pattern of behavior and activity. The steam that you see rising across the river is from the crater of Oblong Geyser. In terms of tallness, Oblong would not be ranked as one of the major geysers in the basin, as its eruptions typically do not exceed a height of about 25 feet. But what makes Oblong so impressive is the volume of water it discharges during an eruption. Oblong, like Grand, is a fountain geyser, so the constriction in the vent lies beneath a large pool of water. During an eruption, the entire pool domes up in a massive surge for over five minutes, sending tens of thousands of gallons of hot water directly into the Firehole River. Over the years, the intervals between eruptions for Oblong Geyser have averaged between four and seven hours, so this geyser is really not that hard to observe. Source: National Park Service, Exploring the Upper Geyser Basin, Orville Bach

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

Region

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Nearby Points of Interest Around Oblong Geyser

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Oblong Geyser while the map context is still fresh.

0.1 mi away

Beauty and Chromatic Pools

A well-deserved name given the wide range of colors due to the bacteria present here.

0.1 mi away

Giant Geyser

Giant Geyser is without question one of the greatest geysers in the world.

0.2 mi away

Grand Geyser

Grand is the most spectacular, because its eruptions consistently reach a height of over 180 feet.

0.2 mi away

Grotto Geyser

No other geyser in this basin is more revered for its unique mineral formations than Grotto Geyser.

0.2 mi away

Daisy Geyser

This highly predictable geyser erupts roughly every 200 minutes, and lasts for 3 to 5 minutes.