Hayden Valley
Located in the central portion of the park and north of Yellowstone Lake, the Hayden Valley is one of most interesting areas within the park. It is essentially an enormous meadow composed of grasslands, as can be seen below. It was named for Ferdinand V. Hayden, a surveyor who led an several expeditions to Yellowstone beginning in 1871. The earliest of these expeditions was instrumental in the conservation of the area as a national park.
The Hayden Valley is surrounded by sage covered hills. The valley is largely bare of trees, due to the silty and fine textured soil which is more favorable for grasses. The composition of this soil results from the fact that the area was a lake bottom in ancient times.
The Yellowstone River runs through the Hayden Valley, where the channel is wide and winding, and provides a very scenic setting.
The Hayden Valley is best known for the abundance and variety of wildlife which can be found there. The animals which might be observed include bison, grizzly bears, American white pelicans, bald eagle, and trumpeter swans. The ability to observe that wildlife is enhanced by the wide expanses of unencumbered views.
The Hayden Valley was also the site of the 1835 mini-rendezvous for trappers led by the legendary Jim Bridger.
In the Hayden Valley, below, a large number of buffalo graze next to a stream during the fall season.
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