West Thumb Geyser Basin

A Long History of Wonder

West Thumb takes its name from the thumb-shaped bay of Yellowstone Lake it sits beside, so named by the 1870 Washburn Expedition. The following year, members of the 1871 Hayden Geological Survey popularized the basin's best-known trick at Fishing Cone, dipping a freshly caught lake trout straight into the boiling water to cook it without ever leaving the shore. The basin sits inside a smaller caldera that collapsed roughly 150,000 years ago, nested within Yellowstone's much larger caldera.

Getting There
Distance from Gardiner & North Entrance: 74 miles, ~2.5 hours
Distance from West Yellowstone & West Entrance: 49 miles, ~2 hours

West Thumb Geyser Basin sits on the western shore of Yellowstone Lake, 17 miles south of Old Faithful. From the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, the route runs through Madison Junction and Old Faithful; from the North Entrance at Gardiner, it's the longest drive of the highlights here, crossing nearly the whole park by way of Norris and Old Faithful.

What You'll See

A half-mile boardwalk loop, one of the shortest in the park, winds past Fishing Cone at the water's edge, the 53-foot-deep Abyss Pool (the deepest pool in the park), and the vividly colored Black Pool, all set against Yellowstone Lake and the mountains beyond. Smaller features like Thumb Paint Pots and Seismograph Pool round out the walk, and in early summer some lakeside features are partly submerged as the lake rises.

Visitor Tips

Boiling fish in Fishing Cone was once a popular stunt but is illegal today, so admire it from the boardwalk instead. The loop takes 30 to 45 minutes at an easy pace, making it one of the simplest stops to fold into a longer day around the lake, and sunrise or sunset light is especially good here since the basin faces the water. Grant Village, two miles south, has the nearest gas, food, and restrooms.