Back Basin Trail
This trail, which is a slightly longer boardwalk trail, skirts a wide assortment of thermal features.
Plan Around Back Basin Trail
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Back Basin Trail Details
Although the Back Basin is located surprisingly close to Porcelain Basin, the two are astonishingly different. This trail, which is a slightly longer boardwalk trail, skirts a wide assortment of thermal features, including the vibrant yellow-green Emerald Spring, the 300-foot Steamboat Geyser, the brilliant blue Cistern Spring, and the acidic, oddly-shaped Echinus Geyser. The colorful thermal basins, which get their colors from minerals and microorganisms, are constantly undergoing activity, meaning that there is always something happening in the Basin. Beginning near the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, which explains the basin's features and natural history, this pleasant walking tour can be accompanied by a self-guided tour booklet available from the museum.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
1.5 miles
Estimated time
30 minutes
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Back Basin Trail
Compare nearby parks around Back Basin Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Back Basin Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Back Basin Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Steamboat Geyser
Claiming the title of world's tallest active geyser.
0.1 mi away
Minute Geyser
Once erupting 50 feet into the air, this small, bubbling geyser is an unfortunate reminder of human behavior.
0.1 mi away
Porkchop Geyser
This Norris Geyser Basin feature has experienced a good deal of change in the last few decades.
0.2 mi away
Back Basin
The forested Back Basin is perhaps best known as the home of Steamboat Geyser.
0.2 mi away
Puff N' Stuff Geyser
True to its name this small geyser often emits large clouds of hot stream and roaring noise.
