Paradise Valley is a major river valley of the

Yellowstone River The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the Western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, via its own tributaries it drains an area with headwaters across the mountain ...

in Southwestern

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

just north of

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

in Park County. The valley is flanked by the Absaroka Range on the east and the Gallatin Range on the west. The Paradise Valley is separated from the Gallatin Valley and Bozeman, MT, by the Bozeman Pass.

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

passes through both communities. The valley lies predominantly along a north–south axis, and is anchored to the north by

Livingston, Montana Livingston is a city and the county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. It is in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,040. Hist ...

and to the south by Yankee Jim Canyon, approximately fifteen miles north of

Gardiner, Montana Gardiner is a census-designated place (CDP) in Park County, Montana, United States, along the 45th parallel north, 45th parallel. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 833. Gard ...

and the north entrance of Yellowstone Park. US Highway 89 passes through the valley and into Yellowstone National Park. The valley was the route taken by early Yellowstone expeditions and the only recognized route into the park when it was established in 1872. The

flows through the valley and is noted for world-class

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...

in the river and nearby

spring creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

s such as DePuy Spring Creek. The valley also features several natural hot springs, including Chico Hot Springs near Emigrant, Montana, La Duke Hot Springs near Gardiner, and Hunter's Hot Springs near Livingston. Mount Cowen is the largest peak near the valley, at in elevation. It is located in the southern portion of the valley on the eastern side of the river within the Absaroka mountain range. The valley is winter range for elk, specifically The Paradise Valley Herd and The Northern Herd.

In popular culture

In the

Paramount Network Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are located a ...

show ''Yellowstone'', Paradise Valley is the home to the (fictional) Yellowstone Ranch owned by John Dutton.

Notable residents

* Al Agnew, artist * Casey Anderson, filmmaker and wildlife naturalist * John Banovich, artist/conservationist *

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four books of poetry. Brautigan's work has been publi ...

, poet *

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

, actor * Austen S. Cargill II, billionaire heir of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated is an American multinational food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865 by William Wallace Cargill, it is the largest privately held c ...

* Russell Chatham, American landscape artist, author, and fly fisherman *

Al Feldstein Albert Bernard Feldstein ( ; October 24, 1925 – April 29, 2014) was an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine '' Mad''. After retiring from ''Mad' ...

, ''Mad'' magazine founder *

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...

, actor/director * Eduardo Garcia, chef, outdoorsman, public speaker * Jim Harrison, author *

Margot Kidder Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018) was a Canadian and American actress and activist. She amassed List of Margot Kidder performances, several film and television credits in her career spanning five decades, including her bes ...

, actress *

Patrick Markey Patrick Markey is an American film and television producer. He has also done production management and second unit directing work. He has worked with filmmakers such as Robert Redford and Sam Raimi. He is currently on the board of directors of th ...

, producer *

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

, singer-songwriter * Thomas McGuane, author * Ken Niles, radio announcer, actor *

Wendell Niles Wendell Niles (December 29, 1904 – March 28, 1994) was an announcer during the American golden age of radio and later in television. Early years Niles was born in Livingston, Montana and grew up there. He attended New York University and ...

, radio announcer, actor *

Christopher Paolini Christopher James Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American and Italian author. He is best known for ''The Inheritance Cycle'', which consists of the books '' Eragon'' (2002), '' Eldest'' (2005), '' Brisingr'' (2008), ''Inheritance'' (2011 ...

, author *

Missi Pyle Missi Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in films including ''Galaxy Quest'' (1999), ''Josie and the Pussycats (film), Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Bringing Down the House (film), ''Bringing ...

, actress

References

External links

* {{Park County, Montana Landforms of Park County, Montana River valleys of the United States