In addition to the walking tours of the Upper Geyser Basin (described in the next section), two other short walks begin from Old Faithful Village. Take the Mallard Lake Trail for a short and easy walk to the Pipeline Creek Group of pools and mud pots. The hot springs have had this name at least since the 1920s, when a pipeline ran nearby. The lake is almost 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away and a 700-foot (210 m) climb. You’ll find the trailhead behind the Old Faithful Lodge cabins. Cross the footbridge over the Firehole River. In about 0.5 mile (0.8 km), there’s a short side trail at the left toward four or more mud-filled springs, one a growler that churns like a washing machine. Watch Pink monkeyflowers along the Mallard Lake Trail. your step and keep small children firmly under control.
After about another mile (1.6 km), you cross Pipeline Creek, where, unusually for a geyser basin, pink monkeyflowers (Mimulus lewisii) grow. Fern Cascades Trail. You may encounter some downed lodgepoles on this moderately steep 2.5-mile (4 km) loop, which takes you to some rather small white water rapids on Iron Spring Creek. Access to the trail is through the employee housing area across the Grand Loop Road from the clinic and ranger station parking lot. The trail intersects with a part of the Howard Eaton Trail that passes Lone Star Geyser (see 105 for a shorter trail to Lone Star).
