Importance:  The Pelican 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 Pelican Valley during the summer.  The area also provides excellent grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) habitat during the spring and summer.  Detailed summer studies of the central bison herd in the Pelican Valley have not yet begun.

Description:  The vast Pelican Valley extends from the Fishing Bridge area of Yellowstone Lake north to the Sulphur Hills region and northeast to vicinity of Mist Creek Pass.  Elevations in the valley vary slightly, but generally average 2,100 m.  A paved two-lane road, traveling from Fishing Bridge towards the East Entrance, bisects a very small part of the southern portion of the Pelican 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.

Pelican Creek in the spacious Pelican Valley

Pelican Creek in the spacious Pelican Valley