UPDATED POST: May 8, 2022

When people say Old Faithful, do you automatically think of the geyser in Yellowstone National Park? I did, too. Until this year, I had no clue that there is one here in our neck of the woods. So naturally, upon finding out, we had to go check it out.

There are about 1000 geysers in the world but only 3 Old Faithful geysers. The most famous one is in Yellowstone National Park which sits along Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the second is the Lady Knox Geyser in New Zealand and the third is actually here in Northern California. We are lucky enough to be a hop, skip and jump away from this Old Faithful in Calistoga, a small town in the Napa Valley.

Why are these 3 geysers called Old Faithful? These geysers have an “Old Faithful” designation because of their regular and predictable eruptions. Our California Old Faithful geyser usually erupts every 30-45 minutes.

A geyser is a rare, constricted form of a hot spring. This natural phenomenon is created in the presence of 3 things: heat, water and rock crevices which act like a natural plumbing system. When water trickles underground through rock fractures in the earth deep into the crust, it builds up there, and is heated by the scorching rock. Eventually, the water starts to boil and becomes unstable and turbulent.

This turbulence pushes a small amount of water out of the opening of the geyser, decreasing the amount of pressure on the water remaining in the geyser. With this immediate pressure drop, the water in the geyser flashes into steam. The steam quickly expands and this expansion powerfully pushes water and steam from the opening of the geyser in an eruption. These eruptions last as long as the water in the geyser remains hot enough to force water out of the geyser opening. Finally, the entire structure will either run out of water or the water will cool down enough for the eruption to stop. This cycle, then, starts all over again. For the Calistoga geyser, this cycle happens every 30-45 minutes.

Because the geyser effect is due to overheated magma, you will expect to see these geysers in active volcanic areas. This specific geyser can be a useful earthquake predictor, too, as studies show that diminished or delayed eruptions might forecast an imminent earthquake within 500 miles of the geyser. Eeeek I sure hope geologists are monitoring this geyser…😱

This little-known attraction in the wine country is actually a good family day trip in the San Francisco Bay Area. Make the most of your day by checking out the fantastic wineries and world-famous restaurants in the area after your geyser adventure.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Hours: Open 365 days of the year.

March 1 - April 30: 830am-7pm

May 1 - September 30: 830am-7pm

October 1 - October 31: 830am-6pm

November 1 - February 28: 830am-5pm

Cost: Adults (12+) - $15

Seniors (62+) & Military - $13

Students and Teachers - $13

Children 4-12 - $9

Children under 4 - FREE

Bicyclists - $13

Calistoga residents - $7 (must show proof of residency)

Parking: Free parking onsite lot

Bathrooms: On site

WHEN TO GO

Although California weather is pretty mild for most of the year, expect some rain from October to May, with February having the most rainfall. The grounds around the geyser, gardens and goat farm is made up of small loose gravel and dirt so it might not be as enjoyable trekking through muddy terrain if it does rain.

HOW TO GET THERE

Location: 299 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515

From San Francisco, Calistoga is a 1.5 hour drive via US-101N or I-80E. The closest major airport is Oakland International Airport (OAK), approximately 77 miles south.

WHAT TO DO

Geyser

Mother Nature’s water show lasted for about 5 minutes. It was mesmerizing to watch the geyser shoot water 60 feet into the air. Remember to keep your distance as the water is boiling hot. The geyser erupts every 30-45 minutes so you have some time in between eruptions to explore the grounds.

Animal Farm

See Tennessee Fainting goats, Cameroon Pygmy goats, Jacob’s Four-horn sheep and Guard llamas. Have you seen videos showing these fainting goats? The “fainting” spells Tennessee Fainting goats experience is due to myotonia congenita, a hereditary condition that causes their legs to stiffen so they fall over when startled. We didn’t witness these “fainting'“ spells because these goats are already probably so used to humans that nothing fazes them anymore.

Gardens

The gardens feature a natural mineral water fountain highlighted by a variety of California native plants.

Picnic tables and Lounging areas

There are two covered lounge areas, lots of picnic tables and hay seating all around giving one perfect views of the erupting geyser while enjoying a picnic lunch.

Travel Tip

Bring drinks, snacks/picnic items if you plan on staying to explore the grounds. The gift shop has a cute picnic station to assist you in what you might need for a picnic such as blankets, wine glasses, utensils and ice buckets, but it was lacking in food. At the time of our visit, the food items were just locally-made dipping oils and tapenade.

Bocce court

Image courtesy of Old Faithful Geyser official website

Apart from the two bocce courts, there are corn hole games that will entertain kids and adults alike.

Geology museum

Adding to your unique experience is admission to the newly completed Geology museum where you can learn about geysers, volcanoes, earthquakes, and history of the region, to name a few.

Gift shop

The gift shop has locally made dipping oils and tapenade as well as a small selection of souvenir items.

You can spend as little or as much time as you want here but there’s so much to do and explore that we ended up spending about 3.5 hours here. I would definitely recommend this attraction especially if you have young children. There is quite a number of activities to keep them entertained.

Why not make this a full day affair and visit the restaurants and wineries in this area? Calistoga is in the heart of wine country of Northern California and is home to popular wineries such as the Italian medieval castle Castello di Amorosa and the historic Chateau Montelena.

Did you enjoy this adventure? If you did, would love to hear from you. Drop your comments 👇

Happy Wandering, friends!

-Ellie

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