Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser
.jpg.jpg)
Imperial Geyser and Spray Geyser share one record, a pair of geysers in Yellowstone National Park's Gallatin County section, about fourteen miles from West Yellowstone. Scalding, near boiling. These are geysers, so the point is watching, on land the Park Service holds open to the public.
A hike of a little under two miles reaches the geysers from a road the record does not identify. The elevation is a bit over seventy-three hundred feet. Snowfall passes twelve feet most winters; the annual average is a few degrees over freezing. Precipitation is on the moderate side. National park designation applies.
The winter months, December through February, are rated best on file, which means snow travel, and the park's winter access rules apply. Big Springs Group Area, Island Park, is the closest camping listed, around nineteen miles away. Geyser water and runoff scald. Stay on firm ground and well back. The record lists no fee.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser.
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 201 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
Landsat's thermal camera passed over on a clear winter day, December 5, 2020. This spring's heat shows up from about 440 miles up. The brightest yellow marks the warmest ground, roughly 23°F warmer than the land around it.
Drag to compare. The view is about 2½ miles across, and each thermal pixel covers roughly 300 feet of ground, so individual pools blur into one warm patch.
Thermal: Landsat 8/9 surface temperature, USGS (public domain), via Microsoft Planetary Computer. Aerial: USGS The National Map. More springs seen from space.
That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 88% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Overview Big Springs Group Area is located 22 miles south of West Yellowstone, Montana in beautiful Island Park, Idaho at an approximate elevation of 6,300 feet. Visitors love Island Park for its world-class fishing and outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities.Recreation Big Springs is the headwaters of Henry's Fork and is one of the largest springs in the country. Henry's Fork is considered one of the best fly-fishing streams in the nation. Fishermen cast for rainbow and brook...
Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser sits at 7,327 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 29% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water is dangerously hot, so bring water shoes and test pools carefully. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Springs Near Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser
More Springs Around 192°F
Hike 6 waterfalls near Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser
Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Imperial Geyser, Spray Geyser, Wyoming.