Valley of Geysers, Protected geyser field in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
The Valley of Geysers forms a six-kilometer gorge along the Geysernaya River, where ninety geysers and hot springs sit between steep rock walls rising up to 400 meters (1,300 feet) high. The gorge lies within Kronotsky Nature Reserve and shows steaming water fountains and bubbling thermal pools along its entire length.
Scientists Tatyana Ustinova and Anisifor Krupenin discovered the valley in 1941 while tracing the source rivers Tikhaya and Shumnaya. After this discovery, the area became part of the reserve and remained difficult to reach for decades.
The Valley receives 3,000 visitors annually who witness natural water eruptions, making it the second largest concentration of geysers after Yellowstone.
Helicopter flights from regional centers are the only way to reach the valley, as no roads lead into this part of Kronotsky Nature Reserve. Flight weather conditions on Kamchatka change quickly, so travelers should expect possible waiting periods or schedule adjustments.
Each geyser follows its own rhythm with intervals between ten minutes and five hours, shooting water up to 40 meters (130 feet) into the air. Some geysers show tiny eruptions while others throw large amounts of boiling water and steam upward.
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