Black Sand Geyser Basin

Black Sand Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park is a smaller geyser basin near Old Faithful that features Emerald Pool and Sunset Lake. This collection of springs and geysers has a family-friendly boardwalk that is great and accessible for anyone and everyone.

An early start is recommended at any of the geyser basins in the Old Faithful area and Black Sand Geyser Basin is no exception. The parking lot is small and the boardwalk is short, so it doesn’t take very long to see everything, but take your time. You can also reach this basin via a trail from the vast collections of geysers and trails around Old Faithful.

I started early, parked and enjoyed Cliff Geyser first which seemed to constantly erupt, then continued on past quite an array of smaller springs and pools. For such a small place, it was amazing to see the variety. Some of the pools were amongst some grassy areas and were a bit more muddy while others were surrounded by mineral deposits in otherworldly structures.

I crossed over Iron Spring Creek with Ospreys patrolling the waters for fish. The boardwalk forked and I went to Sunset Lake first and passed Rainbow Pool. Both are bigger, beautiful pools full of color and steam.

Emerald Pool is the star of the show with incredible depth and the hillside in the background giving you a photo and an experience that doesn’t have people on the other side of it. The colors in this pool are rich and varied from the bright orange edge to the deep green center.

Short stop, but Black Sand Geyser Basin is worth it if you’re looking for some great hydrothermal features.

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