Black Sand Basin if a great boardwalk that includes Emeral Pool, Rainbow Pool, and Sunset Lake. Black Sand Basin is located near Old Faithful making it an easy stop along the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park.
Black Sand Basin - Yellowstone National Park
Distance - .5 mile boardwalk trail
Location - 1 mile north of Old Faithful area on the Grand Loop Road.
Look for black obsidian around the edges of the pool. This black obsidian was what brought early visitors to name this area Black Sand Basin.
Black Sand Basin is split into a Y-shaped boardwalk. It is is a really short distance between all of the thermal features and hot springs.
There isn't a ton of shade on this boardwalk. If you are visiting during the hot summer make sure you are ready for the sun. If you visit later in the day you may want bug spray. We encountered a few mosquitoes while exploring the boardwalk.
Iron Creek flows through the Black Sand Geyser Basin.
Emerald Pool
Temperature 154.6°F
Dimensions 27x38 feet.
Depth 25 feet.
Green Spring
Rainbow Pool
Temperature 161°F
Dimensions 100x130 feet.
Depth 27 feet.
Opalescent Pool
Temperature 144°F
Dimensions 28x55 feet.
Depth 6 feet.
Spouter Geyser
Temperature 199.9°F
Interval 1-2 hours.
Duration 10-11 hours.
Height 5-7 feet.
Sunset Lake
temperature 180°F Dimensions 145x191 feet. Depth 23.5 feet.
Sunset Lake is actually a geyser but it erupts infrequently and it seldom noticed because of all the steam over the water.
Cliff Geyser
Temperature 191.8°F
Interval irregular.
Duration 30 minutes to 3 hours. Height 40 feet.
Look for the crater to fill with boiling water indicating an eruption is close to happening. Cliff Geyser erupts every few minutes and can reach heights of 30 feet.
Where is the Black Sand Basin?
Black Sand Basin is located one mile northwest of the Old Faithful area along the main loop road.
This area is part of the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone NP.
Fun Yellowstone National Park Tours and Activities
4-Hour Morning Kayak on Yellowstone Lake with Lunch- Admire the tree-fringed banks, beaches, and thermal pools of Yellowstone Lake from the water on this morning tour.
After a kayak lesson and time to familiarize yourself with your kayak, set out to explore the West Thumb with your guide. You will paddle for approximately two miles along the West Thumb Geyser Basin as you look for elk and bear along the lakeshore and marvel at the steaming geysers in this incredible area of the park!
Click here to book your tour for the 4-hour Morning Kayak on Yellowstone Lake with Lunch!
Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch - the lush riverside plains of the Lamar Valley are a wildlife watching hotspot within Yellowstone National Park. With this guided hike, you get to explore the natural landscapes as you venture off-road and seek out little-known spots, increasing your chances of seeing wildlife. Look out for buffalo, wolves, eagles, and other animals along the way and watch them from a safe distance in their natural habitat. Tour includes lunch, bear spray, binoculars, trekking pole, backpack(if necessary), coffee and/or tea.
Click here to book your tour for the Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch.
Yellowstone National Park Private Wildlife Tour - Book your private tour with Yellowstone Exposures to ensure a truly unforgettable day with a local expert. Have your day designed and mapped for you by a local professional so that you can utilize it to the fullest.
With snacks, High-quality spotting scopes and binos. Your guide will take photos and video throughout the day. Included a full picnic lunch, snacks, and refreshments.
Click here to book your tour for the Yellowstone National Park Private Wildlife Tour.
Nearby Yellowstone Attractions
Old Faithful - Old Faithful is just down the road from Firehole Lake Drive
Biscuit Basin - Check out Black Opal Pool and the Jewel Geyser in Biscuit Basin.
Firehole Lake Drive - This 2-mile scenic drive includes the Great Fountain Geyer, White Dome Geyser, and Firehole Lake
Fountain Paint Pots Boardwalk Trail - Check out this half-mile boardwalk that guides you past all four types of hydrothermal in the park.
Fairy Falls - Fairy Falls can be seen on a 5-mile round trip hike
Check out all of the epic Yellowstone Waterfalls in the park.
Closest Campground
Madison Campground- Located near the Madison Junction heading towards West Yellowstone.
Check out all of the Yellowstone Campgrounds to help plan your time in the park.
For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!
Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York, and Orlando
Closest Yellowstone Lodging
The Old Faithful Inn, Snow Lodge, and Old Faithful Lodge Cabins are the closest lodging options to Midway Geyer Basin,
Yellowstone National Park Entrance Fee
Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Snowmobile - $30.00 Entry for one driver and one passenger (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass - $20.00 Visitors 16 years or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
$20.00 for Non-Commercial Group (16+ persons)
$20.00 for Commercial Sedan with 1-6 seats and non-commercial groups (16+ persons) ($25.00 plus $20.00 per person)
$125.00 for Commercial Van with 7-15 seats
$200.00 for Commercial Mini-Bus with 16-25 seats
$300.00 for Commercial Motor Coach with 26+ seats
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
Closest Visitor Center
Old Faithful Visitor Center is the closest campground to Black Sand Basin.
Additional Yellowstone Resources
Yellowstone Lodging Guide -Check out all of the lodges you can stay in while visiting Yellowstone NP.
Yellowstone Camping Guide - Check out all of the campgrounds available within the park.
Things to do Yellowstone - Check out all of the top things to do in the park.
Yellowstone Facts - Learn more about the unique features in Yellowstone.
Free National Park Days - Check out all of the days the National Park Service waives park entrance fees.
National Parks in Wyoming - Check out all of the parks you can visit while in Wyoming.
Grand Teton - Ultimate guide to planning a visit to Grand Teton NP.
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