Hayden Valley is a beautiful land within Yellowstone National Park and full of wildlife, especially bisons. Hayden Valley is located on the East side of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River runs through the valley which provide rich water source to the plants and wildlife that live in the valley. There are several overlooks along the road which allows visitors to enjoy their time using binoculars to spot the gorgeous wildlife animals.
It is best to head to Hayden Valley during the dawn or dusk so that it isn't too hot and the wildlife will be more active. We got to Hayden Valley around 7AM in the morning. The sky was partially cloudy but the valley was beautiful. The grass was lush green and the water was so calm with the reflection of the sky. As we drove down the road at a steady pace, we started to see many bisons resting on the side of the road. It was our first time seeing the bisons and thus we were extremely excited.
The bisons were huge and can weight up to 2500 pounds! The bison calf look small and has a different shade of fur. The calf fur was orange color instead of brown. We saw herds of bisons on the side of the road and some bisons were so close to the road. We had to drive very carefully not to spook them and made sure they didn't suddenly run into the car.
At the Hayden Valley Overlook, the view was beautiful. The valley extends so far out and we were using the binocular to see if we could spot animals other than bison. We thought we saw some elks on the very far side of the valley, but it was really far to be certain.
We also saw another herd of bison down at the open grass land of the valley. Saw few bisons rolling on the dusty ground. We were told that that's how bisons take shower!
Overall, it was a magnificent experience to see all these wildlife for the first time! Hayden Valley is a must visit place when visiting Yellowstone! You will not disappoint.
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