Lower Geyser Basin

• Location: in Yellowstone National Park

At about 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) in area, the Lower Geyser Basin is Yellowstone National Park's largest geyser basin. There are hot springs and geysers clumped in groupings throughout the area. One of the basin's most popular sites is the Fountain Paint Pots area, which includes colorful hot pools and mud pots, steaming fumaroles and erupting geysers. The area is highly active, with at least one geyser erupting there at all times.

Another popular feature of Lower Geyser Basin is Great Fountain Geyser, the only predicted geyser in Yellowstone that is accessible by car (predictions for the geyser are posted at the Old Faithful Visitor Center). It is in the middle of one of the park's prettiest sinter formations, with a series of terraced concentric reflecting pools around the geyser.

Some of the hiking trails in the area include Purple Mountain — an ascent that ends with a beautiful view of Firehole Valley and lower Gibbon Valley — and Two Ribbons Trail, completely on boardwalks along the Madison River. This trail is handicapped-accessible.

The visitors center in the area is called the Madison Information Center and is a National Historic Landmark, located at Madison Junction in the Madison Picnic Area, near the legendary campfire circle of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition.

Madison Campground is conveniently located 14 mi/22.5 km east of Yellowstone's West Entrance and 16 mi/24 km north of Old Faithful, near the junction of Gibbon, Madison and Firehole Rivers. There are no utility hookups or showers, but there is a sanitary dump station at the campground. There are 277 camping sites, available from May to October. The daily fee is $17. Price is subject to change.