Hayden Valley at Alum Creek
Photo: Supercarwaar — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)- Jul–Sep
- best months
Clear today
Weather is good · OpenWeather · checked 11 h ago
Is Hayden Valley at Alum Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Yellowstone National Park. It doesn't name Hayden Valley at Alum Creek, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Most Park Roads Closed to All Vehicles
Park closure covering Yellowstone National Park · NPS · Yellowstone National Park
Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion
Park closure covering Yellowstone National Park · NPS · Yellowstone National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Yellowstone National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
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.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Hayden Valley at Alum Creek
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
23° / 3°
17 wet
Feb
27° / 3°
15 wet
Mar
35° / 11°
14 wet
Apr
42° / 19°
12 wet
May
50° / 29°
12 wet
Jun
61° / 36°
13 wet
Jul
71° / 43°
10 wet
Aug
71° / 42°
10 wet
Sep
61° / 34°
10 wet
Oct
46° / 25°
9 wet
Nov
33° / 15°
12 wet
Dec
24° / 7°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Yellowstone, WY, 9.2 mi away at 7,892 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Wrangler Lake Trail
~3 min drive
Short out-and-back hike to a scenic alpine lake in Wyoming's high country.
Howard Eaton Trail: Fishing Bridge-Canyon
~4 min drive
Moderate out-and-back hike from Fishing Bridge to Canyon through thermal landscapes.
Wapiti Lake Trail
~4 min drive
Scenic 16.32-mile out-and-back to alpine Wapiti Lake in Wyoming.
North Rim Trail
~5 min drive
Easy out-and-back rim hike with scenic views near North Rim.
HIKE
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - Lookout Point
~5 min drive
Scientists think the oldest Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone formed in rock and sediments about 160,000 to 140,000 years ago. This canyon was not as deep, wide, or long as today’s canyon. Past and current hydrothermal activity altered and weakened the rhyolite, making the…
Sour Creek Trail
~4 min drive
Short out-and-back creek-side hike in Wyoming.
Clear Lake-Ribbon Lake Trail
~4 min drive
Out-and-back alpine trail connecting Clear Lake and Ribbon Lake in Wyoming.
Artist Point-Point Sublime Trail
~5 min drive
Scenic 1.3-mile out-and-back with dramatic viewpoints and natural formations.
Bear Aware (Canyon)
~7 min drive
Looking to rent some bear spray to carry with you on your adventure around Yellowstone, instead of purchasing a canister? To learn more and rent some bear spray, stop by the kiosk located near the Canyon Visitor Education Center or the Yurt south of the Yellowstone Tribal…
Clear Lake Trail
~4 min drive
Short out-and-back hike to a scenic Wyoming alpine lake.
Also worth it near here
Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River
~4 min drive
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Glacial Boulder
~6 min drive
Hedges Peak
~12 min drive
SEE
Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins
~17 min drive