A part of Yellowstone remains closed indefinitely after 'natural explosion'

The geothermal area is not slated to reopen anytime soon.

Apr 16, 2025 - 21:31

A part of Yellowstone remains closed indefinitely after 'natural explosion'

In July 2024, a hydrothermal explosion rattled the formation of pools and geysers known as Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

While there were no injuries, the explosion originating in Black Diamond Pool sent a large plume of steam, debris, and rocks hundreds of feet into the air. The pressure from the impact damaged a nearby boardwalk and drew attention to the risks of another such explosion being able to hit at any time.

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Yellowstone confirms that popular park site will not open anytime soon

Biscuit Basin is located approximately two miles from the signature Yellowstone geyser Old Faithful.

"Both pools are murky due to debris, and the unstable ground around their edges occasionally slides into the water," the National Park Service (NPS) wrote immediately after the incident on July 24. "Just after the eruption, Black Diamond Pool exhibited minor roiling and water spouting."

With spring now well underway, Yellowstone is in the process of preparing for the summer season and its busiest time of the year. The national park spanning Wyoming and also swaths of Idaho and Montana welcomed just under 4.4 million recreational visitors in 2024, with approximately one million of those coming in July.

While the Biscuit Basin area was once a very popular place to see numerous geothermal pools within close distance of each other, it has remained closed off to visitors since July 2024. As first reported by local watchdogs and news outlets, the NPS will not be reopening for the coming season this year, either.

Yellowstone is known both for its geothermal features and rare array of wildlife.
Image source: Shutterstock

'We will continue to monitor activity and do not have a date'

"The parking lot and boardwalk at Biscuit Basin is closed for safety reasons until further notice due to the possibility of another event," Yellowstone's Public Affairs Office said to Buckrail magazine in a statement. "We will continue to monitor activity and do not have a date when it will reopen."

Michael Poland, the main scientist of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, also told local news outlet KRTV that the protective measure is necessary because "small explosions" are still being reported in the Biscuit Basin area.

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"There were some scientists out there pulling up some of their equipment in November, and they observed an explosion that lasted a few seconds and went about 20 or 30 feet high and threw rocks and mud, a lot of water," Poland explained. "And then there was a tour group that was passing by on Jan. 3, and they observed something very similar."

All of this comes at a time when the Trump administration's government job and budget cuts have drastically reduced NPS staff and reduced their ability to respond to accidents in remote areas.

While several courts have ruled that the 1,000 probationary employees fired in February 2025 must be reinstated, their abrupt firing caused significant disruption to parks preparing their staff for the busy summer period.

"The individual Interior agencies, such as the NPS and Bureau of Land Management, have been taken by surprise and are themselves grasping for additional guidance," Chandra Rosenthal, a Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility director for Rocky Mountain National Park, said in a March statement.