The World’s Tallest Active Geyser Is Right Here In Wyoming And It’s Not Old Faithful
When most people hear “Yellowstone,” Old Faithful immediately comes to mind. It’s only natural, considering that it is in the top 10 of the world’s most famous geysers. Although you can count on Old Faithful to erupt on a schedule, it isn’t even close to being the tallest thermal spring in the park, let alone the world.
While that news may be amazing, what might be just as surprising is that the world’s tallest active geyser is located in Yellowstone National Park. It shouldn’t be too shocking, though. Geothermal attractions are among the things Wyoming does best.
Steamboat Geyser is in Norris Geyser Basin in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
To see it when it's not going off, you wouldn't know that it is the tallest geyser in the world, but it is capable of jetting steaming-hot water as high as 380 feet into the air.
Steamboat doesn't erupt as regularly as many of the other geysers in Yellowstone. It may produce major eruptions within days of each other or remain dormant for decades at a time. It was quiet for the 50-year span between 1911 and 1961 but has gone off intermittently since awakening in the early 1960s. It vents steam frequently and experiences significant eruptions up to three times a year.
There have been other geysers in the world and even in the park that were taller. Excelsior Geyser, for example, used to shoot up over 300 feet, but its activity waned over the years, and it hasn't erupted since 1985. Excelsior was reclassified as a hot spring, clearing the way for Steamboat to be the biggest geyser on the block.
The towering geyser is fed underground by a nearby spring. Steamboat completely drains Cistern Spring during major eruptions but, within a few days, it's full again.
