Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6.2/9.2
South edge of
Hayden Valley.
The vista opens out here to take in a wide swampy val-
ley. This is an excellent place to see wildlife, especially bison, large birds, and maybe wolves.
You'll find several convenient turnouts in the next few miles.
The valley's namesake, Dr. Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden, directed three scientific surveys
of the Yellowstone region. Educated as a medical doctor, he had a strong interest in geology
and the west, leading him to persuade Congress to fund exploratory parties into this area in
1871, 1872, and 1878. The reports from his first survey helped to convince Congress to estab-
lish Yellowstone National Park in 1872.
6.3/9.1
Interpretive sign about Hayden Valley.
Yellowstone Lake Was Bigger Back Then
At the south end of Hayden Valley you can see terraces across the river that mark the
shoreline of the much deeper lake that was here about 10,000 years ago, at the time when
the last ice age was ending. At one point, Yellowstone Lake was 270 feet higher than at
present and covered the entire valley. A glacier dammed the river downstream and filled
the valley with water.
The lake sediments and the
till
(clay, sand, and gravel) left by the glaciers combined to
form a densely packed type of soil that water can't soak through readily. The poor drainage
prevents trees from becoming established. Notice where the trees are growing now—this
tree line was always higher than the water level of the lake. Now that the ice has melted,
the Yellowstone River and its tributaries meander lazily across the wet valley.
6.9/8.5 Wildlife Overlook.
Hayden Valley is an excellent sanctuary for wildlife. Animals
and birds you might see include bison (almost always), elk, deer, coyotes, wolves, grizzly bears;
Canada geese, ravens, ospreys, pelicans, gulls, sandhill cranes, marsh hawks, eagles, peregrine
falcons, and great blue herons; mallard, merganser, and Barrow's gold-eneye ducks.
7.4/8.0
Elk Antler Creek crossing.
7.6/7.8
Turnout to the west overlooks
Trout Creek.
If you stop and look down from the
cliff, you'll see a maze of waterways that are all one stream.
