Firehole Lake Drive is a scenic road in Yellowstone National Park with features such as hot springs, geysers, and bubbling mud pots.
Yellowstone National Park
30 Minutes
Summer
~$35 per Vehicle
Overview
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest of the national parks in North America. It sits in the Yellowstone Caldera and contains Yellowstone Lake which is one of the largest high-elevation lakes on the continent. Over half of the world’s geysers are located within the park.
Firehole Lake Drive has a series of small geysers making it one of the most active areas in the geyser basins.
Firehole Lake Drive Plan
While we were driving through Yellowstone National Park and listening to the GuideAlong audio tour, the guide mentioned the short scenic drive on Firehole Lake Drive. This is in the Lower Geyser Basin just after we left the Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin so we decided to turn in. The road is a one-way road, and it is to the right if you are heading north on Grand Loop Road. The tour mentioned many thermal features, so we made the side trip.
Getting There
Location
Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming with a small percentage of the park in Idaho and Montana. Since there are five entrance stations, there are multiple ways to get to the park. Our favorite way is to go through Grand Teton National Park into the South Entrance, flying into Jackson Hole Airport.
Best Time to Go
While the park is open year-round, the best time to go is from late May through mid-October. The summer months of June, July, and August are usually the busiest while kids are out of school. But if you go during the winter months, many of the roads are closed for the season due to snow and ice on the roads.
Firehole Lake Drive
Who Can Go?
This drive is accessible to anyone. The roadway is paved so any vehicle should be able to make the drive. There aren’t any sharp turns, so the road is navigable even for those in an RV.
What You'll See
Firehole Lake Drive is a great chance to see a variety of the features in the park. As you drive down the road, the first feature you’ll come to is Firehole Spring at the first pullout on the left side of the road. From the start of the drive through the end, you’ll see:
- Firehole Spring
- Surprise Pool
- Great Fountain Geyser
- White Dome Geyser
- Pink Cone Geyser
- Firehole Lake
- Young Hopeful Geyser
- Artesia Geyser
- Steady Geyser
- Black Warrior Lake
- Hot Lake
- Hot Cascades
The road ends again at Grand Loop Road across the street from the Fountain Paint Pots trailhead parking lot.
Great Fountain Geyser is one of the major attractions on the drive since it has a relatively predictable eruption schedule. The eruptions shoot hot water up to 220 feet in the air and the eruptions can last anywhere from one to two hours.
Geyser on Firehole Lake Drive
Firehole Lake Drive
What to Bring & Wear
There are a few short walking paths and boardwalks that you can take to get closer to the features. As always in Yellowstone National Park, do NOT leave the boardwalks or parking areas and wander out on your own. The ground is unstable and can cause injuries or damage to sensitive ecosystems.
If you plan to walk on any of these, although they are short, make sure to bring some water and have on good shoes for walking.
Where to Go
The scenic road can be found between the Old Faithful exit and Madison Junction. You can find the one-way side road about 20 minutes or 10 miles south of the Madison Junction. If you are leaving the Old Faithful Inn area, the drive is about 20 minutes.
From the West Entrance, it would take about 45-60 minutes to drive straight to the detour on the main road. Those entering through the South Entrance can expect about an hour and a half drive.
How Long Does it Take?
I would plan for about 20-30 minutes out of your road trip to drive the short distance on the one-way Firehole Lake Drive. The road is only about 3 miles, but you want to make sure to have time to see all of the different features along the way.
Cost
There is no cost to drive along Firehole Lake Drive. Visitors must pay the entrance fee for the park to the National Park Service when entering Yellowstone National Park.
Tips for Firehole Lake Drive
- Don't get this drive confused with the longer Firehole Canyon Drive further north in the park. This is another scenic drive that follows the Firehole River and leads to Firehole Falls and the Firehole Canyon Swimming Area.
- The pullout areas for parking are small in some places. Be careful when approaching parked vehicles and trying to find parking yourself.