Crystal Geyser

The Crystal geyser was created accidentally in 1935 by the drill site Ruby No 1 in search of oil

Gouveia2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Under the Crystal Geyser near Green River Utah, is a groundwater reservoir with trapped CO2 gas keeping the water under pressure like a soda can after it is shaken. The geyser was created accidentally in 1935 by the drill site Ruby No 1 in search of oil. But, instead of striking oil, it penetrated the water reservoir at about 50 feet and the trapped CO2 at about 360 feet, which caused the drilling mud to shoot 60 feet into the air. They kept drilling down to about 2600 feet but never struck oil.

But when they were finished Utah had a new cold water geyser that was shooting water 80 feet into the air every 15 minutes, and about every 9 hours was shooting water about 150 feet into the air.

John Wesley Powell passed this spot in 1869 and noted evidence of an ancient natural spring and tufa deposit. He reported “An hour after leaving Green River, we run a long rapid, and stop at its foot to examine some curious rocks, deposited by mineral springs that at one time must have existed here, but are no longer flowing”

A vintage post card of Crystal Geyer erupting

Crystal Geyser is unusual because it is a cold water geyser (powered by carbon dioxide) instead of a geothermal hot water geyser like Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Eruptions were normally 80-100 feet, however, around 2014 or so tourists had dropped enough rocks down the drill pipe “in order to trigger an eruption” that today there is an obstruction about 20 feet down that has all but eliminated the spectacular eruptions that it was famous for. Today it’s mostly a fizzle or if you are lucky a two to three-foot eruption.

Getting there

From I-70 use exit 164 which is the east exit for the town of Green River. Then head east for 2.4 miles on the New Area 51 Road to the junction with Crystal Geyser Safari Route. Continue for 4 miles until arriving at a parking area.

Parking ( 38.938451, -110.135296 )

A big dirt lot

Hellgrammite

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