Hayden Valley is a beautiful valley in Yellowstone. You may be wondering, “what is there to do in Hayden Valley?“
Hayden Valley in Yellowstone is popular for spotting wildlife. There is no singular attraction or large parking area in Hayden Valley. It’s a large valley located on the Grand Loop Road providing expansive views and serendipitous wildlife viewing opportunities. There are occasional pullouts and small parking lots with overviews of the valley and the Yellowstone River.
Keep on reading to learn more!
Hayden Valley takes about 15 minutes to just drive through…assuming there are no traffic jams for bison or animal watchers.
It’s common for people to just pull to the side of the road and get out to see nearby wildlife. Since there is a very small shoulder, this slows down traffic significantly. It’s also your sign to pull over and see some animals!
It’s common for people to spend hours just sitting and looking at wildlife through binoculars or a scope. We recommend bringing binoculars to enhance your experience.
It’s possible to see bears (grizzly and black), elk, and bison. There’s even a wolf pack that roams this general area.
Even if you don’t see wildlife, there are a few marked pullouts that provide some nice views of the valley with the Yellowstone River running through it.
There are even some spots where you can walk to the river.
Mud Volcano is located on the edge of Hayden Valley and has muddy hot springs as well as fumaroles (steam vents).
There are a few nice trails in the Mud Volcano area to see the two best attractions: Dragon’s Mouth and Churning Caldron. I really enjoyed the hike through the hills to see Churning Caldron.
It’s also common to see bison roaming here since it’s so close to Hayden Valley.
Located near Mud Volcano is an interesting roadside stop where you can look down upon Sulphur Caldron and the valley below.
LeHardys Rapids are one of the more underrated stops in Yellowstone. Here you can walk down to the Yellowstone River and see trout swimming upstream!
For long-hikers, this 20-mile trail begins in Hayden Valley and crosses the entire Lower Loop, ending at Lower Geyser Basin on the west side of the loop.
Yellowstone can be overwhelming to plan a vacation because it’s so big and there are so many incredible things to see. So we prepared a Yellowstone Itinerary just for you. This will get you to the best sites in the most efficient manner.
We’re Matt and Cheryl, and we’re in the Rockies. :) We are both teachers. Cheryl teaches special ed, and Matt teaches American history. We love the American West and the national parks. We want to help you have a great vacation on your next trip to the Rockies.
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