North Carolina · Geyser

Andrews Geyser

18 mi from Asheville · ~30 min drive

Andrews Geyser is a geyser catalogued in North Carolina by the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System — about 18 miles from Asheville, NC. Coordinates and the closest documented metro are listed below; for current access and soaking rules, check with the relevant land manager before visiting.

Safety & access

Read before visiting

Verify access before driving in. The U.S. Geological Survey catalogs the geographic feature, not its access status. Hot springs in our database span the full range from developed public soaking pools to private resorts to wild thermal water on federal/state land. Some require entry fees; some are on private property; some are in National Park Service units where soaking is prohibited.

Water in geysers and boiling springs reaches well over 180 °F (82 °C) and can scald instantly. Never enter the water. Steam itself can cause burns.

Before you go: check current conditions and access rules with the relevant land manager — National Park Service unit, U.S. Forest Service ranger district, Bureau of Land Management field office, state-park department, or the property owner if it's private. Wild thermal water can be unsafe to enter without a thermometer; surface temperatures can vary dramatically from the deeper pool. When in doubt, don't soak.

State: North Carolina
Nearest city: Asheville, NC · 18 mi · ~30 min drive
Type: Geyser
Coordinates: 35.6548°, -82.2406°
County: McDowell
GNIS ID: 1018095

From Wikipedia: Andrews Geyser is a man-made fountain in Old Fort, North Carolina in McDowell County, currently in need of restoration. The fountain is named for Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews, a North Carolina native who was the Vice President of the Southern Railway Company and one of the people responsible for the construction of the railroad between Old Fort and Asheville, North Carolina, in the late 19th century. The fountain was constructed in 1885 with a dual purpose: it was a feature of the Round Knob Hotel, and a tribute to the approximately 120 individuals who died building the railroad through this particularly treacherous stretch of land, that culminates with the crossing of the Eastern Continental Divide through the Swannanoa Tunnel. The fountain was said to be eye-catching for railroad passengers ascending the 7.5 miles of track and six tunnels that peaks at the top of Swannanoa Gap because it could be seen several times along the route. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Andrews Geyser, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Visiting Andrews Geyser

Trip planning

The exact location is at 35.6548°, -82.2406° — open in Google Maps for driving directions from your location.

If you've visited Andrews Geyser and have current notes (parking, access, soaking rules, fees, ownership), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn more.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed

Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Asheville, NC — 18 miles away (~30 min drive). See accommodation in Asheville on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Sources

Public data

Location data for Andrews Geyser comes from the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (public domain), feature class "Spring". We filter the GNIS Spring catalog to thermal features by name pattern (hot spring, warm spring, geyser, boiling spring, thermal). The GNIS records the geographic feature itself; access rules, ownership, and current conditions come from the relevant land manager. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page or contact us.