Hayden Valley at Alum Creek

Managing agency

National Park Service

Hayden Valley, is one of the best places in the park to view a wide variety of large mammals. Grizzly bears and black bears are often seen in the spring and early summer. Large herds of bison may be seen in the spring, early summer, and during the rut in August. Coyotes can almost always be seen in the valley; wolves are sometimes seen. Leave antlers, wildflowers, rocks, and arrowheads where you find them. Beneath the Surface Underneath the Hayden Valley, lake sediments deposited during glacial periods form clay soils that allow meadow communities to outcompete trees for water. The patches of lodgepole pines in Hayden Valley grow in areas of rhyolite rock outcrops. Because of the influence rock types, sediments, and topography have on plant distribution, some scientists think that geology also influences wildlife distribution and movement. Animals are Dangerous Do not approach or feed any animal. Bison and elk have injured people. Stay 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves. Stay 25 yards (23 m) from all other animals. You are responsible for your safety. Think Safety, Act Safely. Yellowstone is a Dangerous Place.