Excelsior Geyser - Yellowstone N.P., Wyoming
Posted by: Volcanoguy
N 44° 31.580 W 110° 50.242
12T E 512923 N 4930347
Excelsior Geyser is located in the Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park.
Waymark Code: WMDYDR
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2012
Views: 28
Excelsior Geyser is a large fountain-type geyser which originates from a crater about 300 feet in diameter. When the geyser was active in the 1880s it eruptions reached heights of 300 feet. Excelsior was active from 1878 to 1890 and was the largest geyser in the world. In 1985, Excelsior again erupted for several days with eruptions reaching 75 feet. Currently the spring produces about 4500 gallons per minute which flows into the Firehole River.
Information sources: The Geyser Observation and Study Association (
visit link) and Yellowstone National Park.com (
visit link)
Text of sign at Excelsior Geyser:
Excelsior Geyser
n the 1880s Excelsior Geyser erupted in bursts 50 to 300 feet high. The thermal violence formed the jagged crater and apparently ruptured the geyser’s underground system, causing eruptions to cease after 1890.
On September 14, 1985, Excelsior roared back to life with forty-seven hours of major eruptions. It is impossible to predict when this dormant but powerful geyser’s next eruption will occur.
Though its eruptions have been erratic, the geyser’s outflow is nearly constant, pumping more than 4000 gallons of boiling water per minute over the crater rim into the Firehole River.