Steamboat Geyser has two vents, northern and southern, approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) apart.

[3] Prior to 1904, Waimangu Geyser, in New Zealand, had some taller eruptions capable of reaching 1,600 feet (490 m), but in 1904, a landslide changed the local water table, and since then, Waimangu has not erupted.

Steamboat's major eruptions generally last from 3 to 40 minutes (several durations surpassing an hour were observed during the 2018 active phase[6]), and are followed by powerful jets of steam.

In 2018, the geyser began a prolonged period of frequent activity lasting through at least 2022, with more than 40 eruptions recorded annually in both 2019 and 2020.

After an eruption, the geyser often vents large amounts of steam for up to 48 hours.