Yellowstone National Park is famous for its geysers, hot springs, and dramatic landscape. A smaller lava flow or localized hydrothermal explosion is far more likely. Yellowstone remains an active volcano Yellowstone sits above a hotspot where heat from deep inside Earth melts rock beneath the crust. The most recent occurred approximately 631,000 years ago, while its latest lava flow took place about 70,000 years ago. It would instead produce a lava flow involving rhyolite or basalt, potentially accompanied by an explosive phase releasing ash and pumice.