Biscuit Basin

Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone is a fascinating and beautiful area… as of July 2024, it is closed due to a hydrothermal explosion that caused damage to the parking lot and boardwalk. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt… but the area remains off-limits for safety reasons. Our hearts go out to anyone who was injured or affected in any way. Even though access is restricted, Biscuit Basin still offers an amazing visual experience… especially for photographers capturing it at night. The steam rising under the stars, the glow of thermal features, and the surrounding landscape make for incredible shots. It’s peaceful, surreal, and full of atmosphere. The basin is known for vibrant springs like Sapphire Pool and small geysers scattered throughout… it’s a reminder of the raw power beneath the surface. Hopefully the area will reopen in the future once it’s safe again. For now, it’s a place to admire from a distance… one that holds both natural beauty and a reminder of how powerful Yellowstone really is.

We visited Biscuit Basin during our ’23 roadtrip through the Tetons and Yellowstone, and it quickly became one of my favorite basins in the park. When we arrived, there were a ton of bison just hanging out nearby, which made the whole experience feel even more special. Sadly, the Black Diamond Pool had a significant hydrothermal explosion in ’24 and has remained closed since. We feel really fortunate to have seen this beautiful and vibrant area before the damage occurred.

Awesome collection of colorful hot springs, pulsing phumerals, and spitting geysers! A well-made boardwalk takes you over fragile ground and around some of the bigger and older features, while newer features appear to have popped up. Great stop when heading south from the West Entrance! Plus, there's a nice little hike to Mystic Falls and a great panoramic overlook of the basin and beyond for those willing to make the extra effort. And, bonus, there are raspberry bushes near the overlook!

Loved every minute of this. So much parking on a weekend since less tourists. Geysers are crazy spewing sulphur out. The springs are just magical. Colour you’ll remember forever.

Beautiful area! There are boardwalks to access the areas around the springs. The trail to see the falls is moderate and narrow in some places, but if you are able, you should do it! You can climb higher to get closer to the falls, but we didn't.

Good spot to visit, there is a ton of smoke coming out from the hot springs since it’s hot, there’s a ton of cool spots to visit in Yellowstone, and this is one of them. You should visit it if you have the chance or if you want to.

Very nice area and great trail to enjoy hiking. End of May to mid June not so crowded as weather can change quickly. Great views at top of cliffs while hiking.

I can’t say one bad thing about this place. It’s a must see. All the vibrant colors and complete awe of nature. I was just completely mesmerized by these thermal waters. Everything in Yellowstone is beautiful. Just see as many places as you can. You won’t be disappointed. I promise!!!

Biscuit Basin is Closed Due to a 2024 Hydrothermal Explosion! The parking lot, boardwalk, basin and Firehole River at Biscuit Basin, located north of Old Faithful, is closed to all travel until further notice due to the possibility of another event at this site.

This review is for Mystic Falls, Fairy Creek & Little Firehole Loop which was a ~3.5 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to complete. Trail begins along the flat boardwalks at the Biscuit Basin with a few smaller geysers and pools. This was where majority of the crowds were at. The dirt trail becomes narrow as you steadily hike towards the top and eventually loops down towards the waterfall. Stunning views of Mystic Falls and the surrounding areas of Yellowstone! Carry bear spray; the chances of encountering a bear is lower at popular trails but you never know. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/o2TcYheYtEk

Good short hike not far from Old Faithful [Yellowstone National Park] Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park is situated in the Upper Geyser Basin not far from Old Faithful. This quick 2/3 of a mile long trail was an easy and pleasant hike and took us about 20 mins to make the loop... but even though the boardwalk is short there's plenty to see here! We were able to see hypothermal features of spurting geysers and colorful hot springs like the Black Opal Spring, Sapphire Pool, Jewel Geyser, Shell Spring, Avoca Spring, Mustard Spring and Black Pearl Geyser... these are all here at the Biscuit Basin. We passed by many hydrothermal features on both sides of the boardwalk. Walk slow and take in the surroundings. The Morning Glory Pool has been a favorite until it has fallen to vandalism. Yikes! Unfortunately, the pool has been damaged by tourists who threw coins, trash, rocks, and even logs in the hot spring. It has been rumored that throwing coins into the thermals would fulfill wishes. Oh brother... well, it used to be filled with rich blue water with a small ring of orange-yellow bacteria only around the edge. Now the water has changed to a greenish color and the algae band is much wider. Review #2335

I enjoyed my short stop here when I was visiting Yellowstone. Biscuit Basin is part of the Upper Geyser Basin and is located between Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring. Even though the walk on the Boardwalk loop is short, you still see a decent amount of geysers and springs. There is a trail that extends further out from the loop if you want to explore more. Biscuit Basin is named for the knobby formations on the edge of Sapphire Pool. Highlights include Mustard Spring, Sapphire Pool, Jewel Geyser, Shell Spring, Avoca Spring, Black Opal Pool, and Black Pearl Geyser. Sapphire Pool was definitely my favorite. The blue water is so clear that you can see the crater formations that are underwater. It made me wish I could jump in. But then I had to remind myself that these springs are 200°F. An earthquake in 1959 made the Sapphire Pool erupt and eventually double in size. Some of its biscuit formations were destroyed in the process. This is a nice quick stop if you are wanting to get away from the more crowded areas of Yellowstone.

Roughly halfway between Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful is Biscuit Basin which is a set of pools and springs. Like some other spots in Yellowstone there is a walkway that you can use to explore the pools in the area. Of all the pools and springs here my favorite was the Sapphire Pool which is just so blue. I went in the morning when it was still foggy and cloudy but if you go during a clear day you will just see how mesmerizingly blue it is. If you want to walk from Biscuit Basin to Old Faithful there's actually a trail across the street from Biscuit Basin called Artemisia Trail which also passes through some geysers as well.

Get those biscuits back in the oven! If you need to be Bisquick, you can make a short visit of this basin. The Biscuit Basin has a series of colorful pools, all super heated by hot springs that bubble and gurgle. Many of the pools are so colorful that they're named after various gemstones: sapphire, opal, etc. There's a boardwalk that takes you around to see the highlights of the area. The boardwalk is short, but still see a bunch of stuff. It's not quite of as long and interesting hike as some of the others, but if you're short on time, this is a good one to stop and check out. There's plenty of parking, and the boardwalk is level enough, and in good enough condition to easily take a wheelchair out upon. The pools look so inviting! They're crystal clear, and steaming hot. However, don't go in there- there's signs about warning of just how dangerous the waters are. Please stay on the paths.

It's a smaller basin coming from West Yellowstone and heading toward Old Faithful; it's actually a few miles north of it. The best views of all the vibrant colors will be on a sunny and clear day. We didn't luck up and get that, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. It's not as crowded or popular as some other areas and that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I think it's worth stopping, and on a return trip, I'd spend more time here and hopefully it would be less cloudy. There's a boardwalk that will guide you all around. It got its name from biscuit-looking deposits that used to to surround the pools here. An earthquake years ago that was close by destroyed most of the biscuit-shaped deposits. The thermal pools in Yellowstone are all so amazing to watch. Catch them on a sunny and clear day for the best viewing.

This was another very small basin, that I felt could be skipped if you are short on time. I visited all of the stopping points because we had plenty of time, but just trying to help out others who might be shorter on time.

Beautiful hike and a must do if your in Yellowstone. If your not hiking the trails just get out and walk around the mini trails. They have so many beautiful things to see