Hi there!
As it goes in Yellowstone National Park, there are many geysers to see! While the most famous of them all is the Old Faithful, that’s not the only one to see.
There are many smaller geysers located throughout Yellowstone’s thermal basins.
And one such Yellowstone geyser is the Cliff Geyser.
The Cliff Geyser is in the thermal basin area called the Black Sand Basin.
And as it also goes in Yellowstone, watching a geyser erupt is all about your timing.
So, you may or may not be able to see the Cliff Geyser erupt.
But, it seems that you might have a good chance of seeing a Cliff Geyser eruption!
There are several spots that you can see the Cliff Geyser erupting… if it’s erupting that is!
If it’s erupting, can see the Cliff Geyser eruption from the parking lot, from the viewpoint that’s directly in front the geyser across the creek, and then from the Iron Creek bridge!
Watch the Cliff Geyser eruption on youtube!
Is there a Cliff Geyser eruption prediction?
There are eruption predictions with specific timings for a few Yellowstone geysers, but the Cliff Geyser is not one of the them.
But in their March 2020 Black Sand Basin trail guide, the National Park Service says about the Black Sand Basin geyser that “it erupts every few minutes” and on their website as of 2023 they say “the interval between cycles can be up to 35 minutes.”
So based on this description, it seems like you might have a good chance of seeing a Cliff Geyser erupting!
In addition to seeing the Cliff Geyser erupt, I did also see it quiet.
Walking the Black Sand Basin Trail to Cliff Geyser
You will find the Cliff Geyser along the Black Sand Basin Trail.
Black Sand Basin is a part of the Upper Geyser Basin.
The Black Sand Basin trail is pretty short.
It’s listed as 0.25 miles long.
So you won’t have to walk much to see where the Cliff Geyser is located.
And actually, if the Cliff Geyser is erupting, you may even see it from the parking lot as you drive into the Black Sand Basin parking lot!
When I arrived at the parking lot, a buffalo was walking near the parking lot with the Cliff Geyser erupting in the background!
Watch the Cliff Geyser eruption on youtube!
Also, when you see a boardwalk near geysers in Yellowstone… stay on the boardwalk!
Thermal areas can be HOT and dangerous.
👆 The area around Cliff Geyser is considered dangerous ground. The dangers near Cliff Geyser include ground with a thin crust that may be above boiling hot springs or scalding mud.
Cliff Geyser in the 50s
Weather in Yellowstone can also make a difference in how the Cliff Geyser looks when you see it!
The amount of steam coming out of the Cliff Geyser can be affected by the outside temperature. When I was there, the air temperature was on the cooler side.
For reference, my visit to the Cliff Geyser was in early October 2021 around 6pm.
The outside temperature was in the 50s F at that time.
More below about a walk to maybe see the Black Sand Basin geyser erupt!
🌋
A walk to see the Black Sand Basin geyser of Cliff Geyser erupting
There is a stretch of road along the western side of the Yellowstone Grand Loop Road that has a number of thermal basins.
And it’s in one of these thermal basins that you’ll find Cliff Geyser.
The turn-off to the Black Sand Basin parking lot is located directly the Grand Loop Road.
It’s located right near Old Faithful. (map: Old Faithful to Black Sand Basin)
So it can be perfect to stop by to see the Black Sand Basin geyser after you see an Old Faithful geyser eruption.
You’ll just look for the Black Sand Basin sign, and it’s a short road to the Black Sand Basin parking lot!
And then the Black Sand Basin trailhead is right there!
Then you can get started on the trail to get closer to Cliff Geyser!
It is one of the first spots on the boardwalk you can make a stop at!
You will see the geyser on the “cliff” across the river!
Then you can keep walking on the boardwalk to go see another viewpoint of the Cliff Geyser.
As you continue on the boardwalk, before you get to another Cliff Geyser viewpoint, you come across the small hot spring of Green Spring.
And then, you can continue walking and you will see a bridge!
This is the Iron Creek bridge, and this is another spot that you can see the Cliff Geyser from… if it is erupting!
👆 You can watch the Cliff Geyser erupting from the Iron Creek bridge!
👆 The Cliff Geyser is not erupting…
And then you can continue walking along the Black Sand Basin trail to see other thermal features!
And that’s a bit about a walk to see the Black Sand Basin geyser!
The Biscuit Basin is also nearby with the Jewel Geyser that you might be able to see erupting!
See more geysers in Yellowstone:
- Old Faithful Geyser
- Jewel Geyser
- Clepsydra Geyser
- Great Fountain Geyser
- White Dome Geyser
- Solitary Geyser
Plan more of your trip to Yellowstone:
- Black Sand Basin
- Best things to do in Yellowstone National Park
- How to spend one day in Yellowstone
- Grand Teton to Yellowstone
- Best things to do in Grand Teton National Park
- Driving through Grand Teton
GOOD LUCK SEEING THE CLIFF GEYSER ERUPTING!
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.