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Usitour
Sightseeing

Fishing Cone

📍 Wyoming · USA
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3.8/ 5.0
★★★★☆

Introduction

Fishing Cone is a uniquely shaped hot spring crater in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. It resembles an inverted funnel or volcanic cone about 10 meters across and 7 meters deep, filled with clear emerald water at roughly 80 degrees Celsius. What makes it magical is its setting right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake; from the boardwalk you see boiling spring and cold lake separated by a stone's throw, with steam and ripples in striking contrast. In the late 1800s visitors actually caught fish from the lake and dropped them into the boiling cone to cook on the spot, giving the feature its name; this odd story is a curious footnote of early Yellowstone tourism. Such cooking is now prohibited to protect geothermal resources, but visitors can still admire the eerie beauty of this lakeside spring from the boardwalk, one of the must-see oddities of West Thumb.

✨ Highlights

1
Lakeside Hot Cone
2
Emerald Pool
3
Cooked Fish Tale
4
West Thumb Basin
5
Steam vs Ripples
6
Boardwalk Access

🛈 Practical Info

→Hours：West Thumb open late May to mid-October
→Admission：Yellowstone pass, $35 per private vehicle for 7 days
→Best Time：June to September, morning for light and fewer crowds
→Transport：Drive the Grand Loop from West Yellowstone or Old Faithful
→Duration：West Thumb about 1 to 1.5 hours
→Boardwalk：Stay on boardwalks; off-trail in thermal areas prohibited

💡 Tips

• Thermal crust is thin and scalding; leaving the boardwalk can be fatal. Watch kids; no pets on boardwalks.
• The basin also has lakeside springs and geysers; walk the full loop to miss nothing.
• Arrive before 10 AM for fewer people and better photos; tour buses arrive in afternoon.
• Combine with Yellowstone Lake views and Grant Village for a lakeside half-day.

FAQ

Any practical tips for visiting Fishing Cone?

Thermal crust is thin and scalding; leaving the boardwalk can be fatal. Watch kids; no pets on boardwalks. The basin also has lakeside springs and geysers; walk the full loop to miss nothing.