wearing: blue and silver earrings / lipstick / adidas sweatshirt / backpack / long sleeve tee / jeans / hiking boots / nail polish /

One of the must-see’s when visiting Napa Valley is Old Faithful Geyser. While admission is a little high, you cannot go through life living in the bay area without seeing this geyser at least once. It’s one our local natural wonders!

We visited Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga right after Christmas, so there had been plenty of rain during the holiday season to fuel the geyser, and temperatures were quite chilly. The conditions allowed for the geyser to erupt every 5-10 minutes. Under normal weather conditions, it erupts roughly every 45 minutes. According to information provided by the geyser museum, the geyser slows eruption to every two hours about 72 hours before an earthquake within 150 miles. That is incredible information for local geologists!

Since it was really chilly outside, with temperatures in the high 40’s and low 50’s, the weather wasn’t conducive to an outdoor picnic. In my opinion, the best time to visit Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga would be the fall or spring seasons. Temperatures will be mild, and it will be comfortable for spending half a day, or an entire day, on the geyser grounds. They have plenty of picnic areas, bocce ball, and other activities to keep you busy while you enjoy a picnic; perhaps even some local wine you bring in! This is a bring-your-own-picnic type of place. They do have a little convenience store within their gift shop, but I would recommend bringing in your own picnic.

In addition to an Instagram-worthy picnic area, the Old Faithful Geyser grounds offer farm animals and a relaxing fountain to enjoy gazing at. This would make a really relaxing, slow day in the spring or fall months. We definitely need to go back when temperatures warm up! You can learn more about visiting here.

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Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more from Napa Valley!

XOXO

Cathy