Lion’s Roar
Near Old Faithfull
LIONS ROAR
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF LIONS ROAR
The area around Old Faithful is a living volcano and the geysers are something to see. However, from a landscape photographer’s standpoint, it is almost impossible to capture a unique image from this area. I said almost impossible, not impossible.
I got lucky on my first visit to Old Faithful and stumbled on this great location. I call it Lion’s Roar, as the powerful eruption comes from a small series of geysers around Old Faithful called the Lion Geyser Group. What makes the shot unique is the wonderful hot water pool (Heart Spring) that sits in front of the Lion Geyser. What makes the shot difficult is that Lion Geyser is not very predictable, and it may only erupt 2-4 times each day - and you don’t know when.
When you visit Yellowstone and especially the Old Faithful area, please do your best to preserve all aspects of this location for future visitors and always try to leave it in better shape than when you found it.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Annual Subscription
Lifetime Membership
DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH LIONS ROAR SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as 2 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). It’s an easy ½ mile walk from Old Faithful Geyser along a paved trail that turns into a boardwalk over the geyser field north of Old Faithful.
As mentioned, this shot is all about when the Lion Geyser erupts.
I have been to this spot 3 times - and when I took the picture above, I was just plain lucky and had to wait only 5 minutes or so. I have also been at this location for 6 hours before it erupted. The third time, it did not erupt until after sunset. When it does erupt, it lasts about 90 seconds or so.
This website tracks the intervals of the eruptions for the Lion Geyer - Geyser Times - Lion Geyser - (it will be your best guide to understanding when the next eruption might happen).
The above shot was taken with a 24mm lens.
7,709 ft Elevation
Other Resources Available with Membership
KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
