How often does Old Faithful spit?

The world's most famous geyser, Old Faithful in Yellowstone, currently erupts around 20 times a day. These eruptions are predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate, within a 10 minute variation, based on the duration and height of the previous eruption.



In 2026, Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park erupts with remarkable consistency, typically occurring every 60 to 110 minutes. The average interval is approximately 94 minutes. Park rangers can predict eruptions with a 90% accuracy rate within a 10-minute window. These predictions are based on the duration of the previous eruption; if an eruption lasts longer than 2.5 minutes, the next interval will be longer (around 90+ minutes), whereas a shorter burst leads to a shorter wait time. During an eruption, the geyser "spits" and shoots between 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water to heights of up to 184 feet. In 2026, visitors can track these predictions in real-time via the "NPS Yellowstone" app or on digital signage at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center. Despite being one of nearly 500 geysers in the park, its name "Old Faithful" persists because it is the most frequent and predictable of the large geysers, rarely varying from its rhythmic cycle.

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If you just want to know when the next Old Faithful eruption takes place:
  1. Check the posted prediction at the Old Faithful Visitor Center.
  2. See the Rangers' predictions on Twitter @GeyserNPS.
  3. Watch the Old Faithful webcam live and see the predictions there.
  4. Look at the Old Faithful eruption schedule online.


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By locating these tremor signals, the fluid pathway of Old Faithful geyser down to a depth of ~260 feet (80 meters) is illuminated.

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Just like the animals in the park, the geyser basins won't stop with the weather. Geyser basins are a never-ending wonder, even in the rain; Old Faithful will still spectacularly erupt and hot springs will still be vibrant despite weather conditions.

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A 19-year-old was badly burned from an iconic geyser in Yellowstone National Park, officials said. Park rangers helped the woman at Old Faithful on Thursday. She had second- and third-degree burns over 5% of her body, park rangers said.

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Geysers like Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park erupt periodically because of loops or side-chambers in their underground plumbing, according to recent studies by volcanologists at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Stars Over Yellowstone, evening astronomy walks by top astronomers, are held at the Madison Amphitheater several times in summer. You can spot the Milky Way, Saturn, craters of the moon, star clusters, and nebula.

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Since 1870, 22 people have died in the park after falling into the pools and geysers. One of the most recent deaths, in 2016, involved a man trying to soak in a geyser in the park. The man fell into the water and was boiled to death.

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However, Yellowstone is also an active geothermal area with hot springs emerging at ~92°C (~198°F) (the boiling point of water at Yellowstone's mean altitude) and steam vents reported as high as 135°C (275°F).

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If you've ever visited Old Faithful and the other geysers at Yellowstone National Park, you've likely come away with two reactions. First, it's one of the most captivating sights in all of nature. Second, the place stinks like rotting eggs.

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