Steamboat Geyser, shown here, is located in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin. Steamboat is not as predictable as the famous Old Faithful geyser. Waiting on Steamboat to erupt may turn into a long one. Past records show eruptions can take anywhere from four days to fifty years, as was the case from 1911 to 1961. Pictured here is a minor eruption with heights from 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m). Water is superheated above the boiling point to an average of 204 °F (95.5 °C) as it leaves the fumarole. The water cools as it is propelled into the air, and is no longer dangerous by the time it falls to the ground. However, because of the high temperatures of the water in these natural features, it is important that spectators remain on the boardwalks and designated trails. A fall into hot springs can prove fatal.
Tales of Yellowstone's roaring geysers and bubbling cauldrons made their way back to the East Coast during the mid 1800s. During an 1871 expedition, Ferdinand Hayden led a party of explorers that included an artist and a photographer. These images helped convince Congress that this area needed to be protected and preserved. Shortly thereafter, in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law stating Yellowstone would be set aside as a park for public enjoyment.