The rugged Hazen Plateau gradually rises to the southeast of the lake. In areas where ground water is retained, vegetation such as grass-sedge meadows flourish. Ground hugging willows grow wherever enough soil, nutrients, and moisture allow for their survival. Bright arctic wildflowers dot the landscape with yellow, white, pink and mauve. These plants in turn provide food for musk ox, Peary caribou and Arctic hares.
Arctic wolves prey on the herbivores in the next turn of the ecological spiral.
During the summer, thirty species of bird nest in the area. Many travel great distances to get here. Arctic terns winter in Antarctica. Ringed plovers, Ruddy turnstones and Red knots migrate from Eurasia to nest on north Quttinirpaaq. The Lake Hazen area, particularly the western slopes and northeastern uplands of the lake basin, is a thermal oasis in this polar desert.