Importance:  The Hayden Valley is part of the summer range for the central bison herd, which migrates along the Mary Mountain Trail to the lower elevation Madison-Firehole-Gibbon region to spend the winter.

Primary wildlife:  Bison (Bison bison) are the prominent ungulate species of interest in the Hayden Valley during the summer.  The area also provides important gray wolf (Canis lupus) habitat year-round as well as elk (Cervus elaphus) and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) habitat during the spring and summer.  Detailed summer studies of the central bison herd in the Hayden Valley have not yet begun.

Description:  The spacious Hayden Valley extends from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone region south to near the Fishing Bridge area of Yellowstone Lake.  Elevations in the valley vary slightly, but generally average 2,400 m.  A paved two-lane road, traveling from Canyon to Fishing Bridge along the Yellowstone River, bisects the eastern portion of the Hayden Valley.  The road is open to visitors in wheeled vehicles from approximately April 15 to October 31.  

Habitat:  Lodgepole pine (Pinus contortus) dominates the forested area with stands of Engelman spruce (Picea engelmanni), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga mensiesii) interspersed.  Wet meadows, which occur in the unforested areas along the rivers, are characterized by standing water or saturated soils and grasses, sedges (Carex spp.), and marsh reedgrass (Calamagrostis spp.). Drier meadows are dominated by grasses (Festuca idahoensis, Poa spp.), and sagebrush (Artemesia spp.). The study area contains small regions of geothermal features.

Bison calf walking in the Hayden Valley

The Hayden Valley

The Yellowstone River in the Hayden Valley