Colorado does have buffalo, more properly called bison, and in sizable numbers. Almost every one of them lives inside a fence, whether on a ranch, in a city park herd, or on tribal land.1Rocky Mountain Bison Association. Bison Industry – Rocky Mountain Bison Association The state’s public herds trace back to a handful of animals saved after bison nearly vanished from Colorado more than a century ago.2City and County of Denver. Bison Conservation
How Many Bison Live in Colorado
Colorado has about 9,555 bison, the fifth-largest count of any US state.3Rocky Mountain Bison Association. Bison Industry – Rocky Mountain Bison Association About 110 ranchers raise them, the second-most of any state, so the average herd is small, about 87 animals.4Rocky Mountain Bison Association. Bison Industry – Rocky Mountain Bison Association Demand for bison meat has grown faster than supply over the past two decades, which keeps ranchers interested.5Land Investor. From Heritage to High Demand: The Rise of American Bison Ranching
Most of these ranch herds sit on private land and aren’t open to the public. You may spot them from highways and county roads in eastern Colorado. Some ranches offer tours or sell meat directly, so check before visiting. Never enter a pasture to get closer for a photo. Visiting without permission is trespassing, even if the animals are visible from the gate.
Ranchers typically raise bison for meat, selling through direct sales, regional distributors, or restaurants. Fences keep bison off roads and away from cattle, and a free-roaming herd would need huge open land that rarely exists now.
Alongside the ranches, Colorado has city, federal, and tribal herds numbering in the dozens to hundreds. If you want to watch bison, the public herds near Denver are the easiest place to start.
Where to See Bison Near Denver
By 1908, 18 bison at the Denver Zoo were the last ones left in Colorado.6City and County of Denver. Bison Conservation The herd moved to Genesee Park in 1914 and expanded to Daniels Park in 1938.7City and County of Denver. Bison Conservation Because these herds descend from the last wild bison in North America, the city keeps them to protect the species rather than for meat.8City and County of Denver. Bison Conservation Careful swapping of animals between the two parks has kept the bison healthy and free of inbreeding a century later.9Frontiers in Conservation Science. Genetic viability of small American bison (Bison bison) populations a century after reintroduction In 2021 Denver gave more than a dozen bison to the Southern Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma.10Colorado Encyclopedia. Bison Reintroduction
Genesee Park sits along Interstate 70 west of Denver, so many drivers see bison from the highway. A herd overlook lets you watch without leaving the viewing area. The bison may be far off, so binoculars help, and where the herd stands changes with the season and grazing rotation.
Daniels Park is a Denver mountain park south of the city, near Castle Rock, so it works well as a trip from the south metro area. Like Genesee, it holds a public herd, so you can look for bison from the park’s viewing areas rather than going out into the grass. Check the park’s current hours and conditions before you go, since mountain parks can close for weather or maintenance.
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver was once a chemical weapons plant.11Nature and Culture. Examining Restoration Goals at a Former Military Site: Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado After two decades of cleanup it became a national wildlife refuge with restored prairie.12Nature and Culture. Examining Restoration Goals at a Former Military Site: Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado Bison returned there in 2007, first to a small pasture.13Open-File Report. Bison grazing ecology at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado The refuge herd has unusually varied genetic lines compared with most herds.14PubMed Central. Genetic variation of the mitochondrial DNA control region across plains bison herds in USA and Canada Variety helps a herd stay healthy over generations.
The refuge offers a wildlife drive where bison are often visible from your car, and staying in your vehicle is the safest way to watch. You may also see prairie dogs, deer, and raptors on the same drive.
Bison also came to western Colorado once. In 1925 three bison from Yellowstone were brought to Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction.15Journal of Wilderness. A Bison Conservation History in the U.S. National Parks Locals raised money partly through a buffalo nickel drive that collected $150.16Journal of Wilderness. A Bison Conservation History in the U.S. National Parks That herd grew to about 20 animals by the mid-1900s.17Journal of Wilderness. A Bison Conservation History in the U.S. National Parks
Tribal Bison Herds in Colorado
Since the early 1980s, the Southern Ute Tribe has kept a herd near Ignacio in La Plata County.18Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds The herd is held at about 40 animals on a 350-acre pasture.19Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds Each year the Southern Ute remove some bison so the herd stays at a size the pasture can feed, using them to supply meat for tribal members, powwows, and events.20Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds The tribe’s Cultural Department also uses the herd to teach about the bison’s central place in Southern Ute culture.21Colorado Encyclopedia. Bison Reintroduction
Bison were once central to food, shelter, and ceremony for Plains peoples. Their near-extinction happened alongside the forced removal of tribes, so restoring herds is seen as restoring culture and health together. Tribal herds are on tribal land and run for the community, so ask the tribe before trying to visit or photograph, and respect any closures or cultural guidance.
The Southern Ute are one of 69 tribes in the InterTribal Buffalo Council, which works in 19 states.22Colorado Encyclopedia. Bison Reintroduction It now represents more than 2,000 bison nationwide.23Colorado Encyclopedia. Bison Reintroduction In Colorado, the Colorado Buffalo Collective links bison restoration with healing for the nearly 50 tribes once tied to this land.24The Suding Lab. bison
Bison or Buffalo
The French explorer Champlain called them buffles in 1616 after seeing skins and a drawing.25Wikipedia. American bison He never saw a live animal. Europeans linked these shaggy animals to buffalo they already knew,26World Wildlife Fund. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds which helps explain why a word for Old World animals was attached to an American one. Other ideas trace the name to the French boeuf, meaning beef, or to buff-colored coats.27Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. It’s Bison, Not Buffalo. And Other American Bison Facts Historians don’t agree on a single origin.
Calling them buffalo isn’t really wrong. It’s common everyday usage and nobody will misunderstand you. Scientists and parks prefer bison to avoid confusion, and place names like Buffalo Bill keep the old word alive.
Features tell the animals apart, in person or in a photo:
- Bison: a big shoulder hump and a massive head.28World Wildlife Fund. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds A bison’s hump sits above the front legs, making the front of the body look heavy and the rear look smaller. Chin beards and thick coats that shed in spring and early summer.29Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. It’s Bison, Not Buffalo. And Other American Bison Facts Short, sharp horns.30Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. It’s Bison, Not Buffalo. And Other American Bison Facts
- Cape buffalo: horns that curl like a handlebar mustache from a helmet-like base.31Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. It’s Bison, Not Buffalo. And Other American Bison Facts
- Water buffalo: long crescent-shaped horns and smooth backs.32World Wildlife Fund. Are There Buffalo in Colorado? A Look at Bison Herds
Are Bison Wildlife or Livestock in Colorado
A 2025 law, SB25-053, splits bison into two legal groups.33Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Bison Privately owned, fenced bison stay livestock under the state Department of Agriculture.34Rocky Mountain PBS. CPW approves dual classification for bison: what it means for future restoration Bison that wander into Colorado on their own are big game, a wildlife species managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.35Rocky Mountain PBS. CPW approves dual classification for bison: what it means for future restoration Shooting a wild bison is illegal unless the wildlife commission sets rules allowing it.36Colorado General Assembly. SB25-053 Protect Wild Bison Escaped ranch bison and tribal herds are not counted as wildlife.37Colorado General Assembly. SB25-053 Protect Wild Bison
Before, a bison that crossed the state line had unclear protection. The new rule lets future wild herds return without being shot as stray livestock, and it leaves ranchers’ ownership of their herds unchanged.
If you see a loose bison, don’t assume it’s wild; it may have escaped a nearby ranch. Keep well away and call local authorities or Parks and Wildlife. Never try to herd it yourself.
Why Bison Matter on the Prairie
Bison move 50 to 99 percent faster than cattle and graze much larger areas.38Rangeland Ecology and Management. Bison Versus Cattle: Are They Ecologically Synonymous? Cattle stay near water and woody cover, while bison range far from water and avoid woods.39Ecosphere. The role of herbivores in Great Plains conservation: comparative ecology of bison and cattle Cattle also spend more summer time grazing than bison.40PubMed. Foraging Ecology of Bison and Cattle on a Mixed Prairie: Implications for Natural Area Management Cattle that linger near water and trees can wear those places down, while bison range into areas cattle may rarely use.
Bison also wallow, rolling in shallow bare dirt bowls in the grass that create homes for many insects and spiders.41Ecosphere. Ecosystem engineering by bison (Bison bison) wallowing increases arthropod community heterogeneity in space and time Bison roll in it to shed fur and ward off insects, and old wallows hold rainwater and change plant growth around them. Insects and spiders that need open ground can live there, which adds variety to the prairie’s habitat. On a visit, look for round or oval patches of loosened dirt in otherwise grassy ground, from a safe viewing spot, since bison may be nearby.
How to Watch Bison Safely
Bison are wild animals that startle easily and can be extremely dangerous.42Visit Denver. Buffalo Herd Overlook & Denver’s Bison History Do not approach, feed, taunt, or climb fences to reach them.43Visit Denver. Buffalo Herd Overlook & Denver’s Bison History Watch quietly and respectfully from a viewing area or your vehicle. Bison can run far faster than a person, and getting close for selfies is a frequent cause of injuries at parks.
A raised tail can mean the animal is about to charge or run, so treat it as a reason to move away at once, not a cue for a closer photo. Head bobbing, pawing, and snorting show stress and can appear before a charge. None of these signs is a guaranteed countdown, so keeping a safe distance matters more than reading the animal perfectly.
If a bison moves toward you, back away slowly, without turning your back or running, and put a barrier or your vehicle between you and the animal. Getting into your car is the safest choice because it protects you and lets you leave.