Lone Star Geyser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lone Star Geyser |
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Lone Star Geyser
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| Location | Lone Star Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 44°25′06″N 110°48′24″W / 44.4183461°N 110.8067286°W |
| Elevation | 7,644 feet (2,330 m) |
| Type | Cone type geyser |
| Eruption height | 35-40 feet |
| Frequency | 3 hours |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
Lone Star Geyser is a special type of hot spring called a cone geyser. You can find it in the Lone Star Geyser Basin, which is part of Yellowstone National Park. This geyser basin is a bit hidden, deep in the park's backcountry. It's about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the famous Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin.
You can reach Lone Star Geyser by hiking or biking on an old service road. The path starts near Kepler Cascades on the main Grand Loop Road. Lone Star Geyser erupts, or shoots water into the air, about every 3 hours. Each eruption lasts for around 30 minutes and can reach an impressive height of 35 to 40 feet (10.7 to 12.2 meters)!
How Lone Star Geyser Got Its Name
Have you ever wondered how Lone Star Geyser got its name? Aubrey L. Haines, who was a historian for Yellowstone Park from 1960 to 1969, shared three interesting stories about it:
- The Surveyors' Story: In 1882, two surveyors from the Northern Pacific Railroad were working near the Upper Geyser Basin. They found this geyser and thought they were the first to discover it because it was so far away from other places. They wrote down "Lone Star Geyser" in their notes.
- The Hunters' Tale: In 1879, two hunters named Colonel W. D. Pickett and J.M.V. Cochran camped near Old Faithful. Later, they talked with Henry Bird Calfee, a famous Yellowstone photographer. During their chat, they called the geyser "Lone Star."
- The Hayden Survey: The Hayden Geological Survey explored the area in 1872. They first named this geyser "Solitary Geyser." However, that name was later given to a different geyser located northeast of Old Faithful.
Images for kids
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Lone Star Geyser, photographed in 1878 by William Henry Jackson
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Lone Star Geyser, around 1900, by Frank Jay Haynes
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The geyser just before an eruption in 2008
