Bison Are Returning to Highlands Ranch for the First Time in Over 100 Years
Bison are returning to Highlands Ranch for the first time in more than 100 years, per the Highlands Ranch Community Association.
Beginning in June, bison from the historic Daniels Park herd will move into a newly prepared 200-acre pasture inside the Backcountry Wilderness Area, the HRCA announced on its Backcountry Field Notes blog on May 18, 2026. It's a three-way conservation partnership: the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund, Denver Mountain Parks, and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Where the herd comes from — and why it matters
The Daniels Park herd traces back to one of the most important bison rescues in U.S. history.
Per the City and County of Denver's Bison Conservation page: bison once numbered more than 30 million across the continent when European explorers first arrived, but were nearly wiped out by the 1880s. At the turn of the 20th century, fewer than 1,000 bison remained in existence. By 1908, just 18 bison at the Denver Zoo were all that remained in Colorado.
Denver Parks and Recreation moved that herd to Genesee Park in 1914 — the same Genesee herd that is still visible along I-70 today (per the HRCA announcement and the Denver Bison Conservation page).
Per Wikipedia's Daniels Park entry (citing the National Register of Historic Places documentation for the park): the Genesee herd was originally sourced from Yellowstone National Park as part of early efforts to preserve the species. In 1938, when the Genesee herd grew too large, twenty bison were taken from Genesee and relocated to Daniels Park, with around 800 acres of the park allocated to the herd.
HRCA describes the Daniels Park herd as one of Colorado's oldest conservation herds and one of the last genetically pure bison herds in the United States (HRCA Backcountry Field Notes).
Where Daniels Park is — and what borders it
Daniels Park is in Douglas County, located along Douglas County Road 67 northeast of Sedalia and west of Castle Pines. Per Wikipedia (and per the Mountain Parks Foundation): the park was established in 1920 from donations made by Australian-American philanthropist Florence Martin, who gave 38 acres that year and another 962 acres in 1937 after her ranch house burned. A picnic shelter designed by architect Jules Jacques Benoit Benedict was built there in 1922. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 30, 1995.
Crucially for this story: Highlands Ranch borders Daniels Park to the north (per Wikipedia). The park is directly adjacent to the Highlands Ranch Backcountry Wilderness Area and the privately-held Cherokee Ranch preserve, creating a combined ~12,000 acres of contiguous open space running from Sedalia to Highlands Ranch. In other words, the herd's new 200-acre pasture is part of the same landscape system the Daniels herd has lived next to since the herd was established at Daniels Park in 1938.
Where the bison will live in Highlands Ranch
The new pasture sits inside the 7,440-acre Backcountry Wilderness Area (per the HRCA announcement; HRCA's main Backcountry program page describes the property as "an 8,200-acre conservation property," so figures published by HRCA itself vary). The Backcountry is owned and managed by the Highlands Ranch Community Association. HRCA says it is one of the largest privately-managed conservation properties in the Denver metro area.
HRCA also said special UTV Tours to the new grazing area are coming, along with educational programs connected to the project, and that the bison will live in a carefully managed habitat (HRCA Backcountry Field Notes). The HRCA Backcountry program already runs guided horseback rides, archery, environmental education, summer camps, hunting draws, and 25+ miles of trails (Backcountry program page).
The broader Denver bison conservation story
Denver's two-herd conservation program is one of the oldest in the United States. The City and County of Denver has maintained its conservation herd for more than a century, and an active partnership between the Denver Zoo and Denver Parks and Recreation continues today.
Per the Denver Bison Conservation page: beginning April 2021, the City and County of Denver began donating surplus bison to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes — reintroducing bison to tribal lands rather than auctioning them. Denver Parks and Recreation held its 36th and final annual Bison Auction in March 2020. The tribal donation program is set to continue through 2030, coordinated with the Denver American Indian Commission, the Tall Bull Memorial Council, and the InterTribal Buffalo Council. (Wikipedia corroborates the shift from auction to tribal donation, noting Denver began donating yearlings to selected tribes in 2022.)
A separate Native American cultural connection to Daniels Park: per Wikipedia, Cheyenne community member Richard Tall Bull pressed Denver to set aside ceremonial space, and in 1977 Denver designated a 70-acre area of northern Daniels Park for exclusive Native American use. The Tall Bull Memorial Grounds is managed by the Tall Bull Memorial Council, which hosts an annual pow wow on Labor Day Weekend.
What's next
- June 2026 — bison move into the 200-acre pasture (per HRCA)
- Coming months — UTV Tours + educational programs (HRCA has not announced specific dates, booking details, or pricing)
FAQ
When do the bison arrive in Highlands Ranch?
HRCA says June 2026. A specific date has not been announced publicly.
Where exactly will the bison live?
In a newly prepared 200-acre pasture inside the Backcountry Wilderness Area in Highlands Ranch, which HRCA owns and manages.
Where do the bison come from?
Per HRCA, the historic Daniels Park herd. Per Wikipedia (citing the park's National Register of Historic Places documentation), the Daniels herd was started in 1938 with 20 bison taken from the Genesee Park herd, which had itself been sourced from Yellowstone National Park as part of early conservation efforts.
How old is Denver's bison conservation program?
Per the City and County of Denver, the herd was moved to Genesee Park in 1914, expanded to Daniels Park in 1938, and Denver has maintained its herd for more than a century.
How many bison are there today, nationally?
Per the City and County of Denver: there are roughly 500,000 bison in North America today, up from fewer than 1,000 at the turn of the 20th century.
Where is Daniels Park?
Per Wikipedia: Daniels Park is in Douglas County, along Douglas County Road 67 northeast of Sedalia and west of Castle Pines. Highlands Ranch borders the park to the north.
Can the public see the bison?
HRCA says special UTV Tours to the grazing area and educational programs are coming. Specific dates, booking details, and pricing have not been announced.
Who is involved in the Highlands Ranch project?
Per HRCA, it's a three-way conservation partnership: the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund, Denver Mountain Parks, and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
When were bison last in Highlands Ranch?
More than 100 years ago, per HRCA. The HRCA announcement does not give a specific year.
Photo by Becca Venable, via the HRCA Backcountry Field Notes blog.
Related on dougcosocial.com:
- Backcountry Outdoor Movies 2026 — nine Saturday-night movies at Backcountry Base Camp
- Highlands Ranch Summer Concerts 2026 — HRCA's Summer Concert Series at Highland Heritage Regional Park (a different HRCA venue)
- Summer of Fun: Douglas County 2026
- Highlands Ranch business directory
Sources (every claim above traces to one of these URLs):
- HRCA Backcountry Field Notes — "Bison Are Returning to Highlands Ranch for the First Time in More Than 100 Years", published May 18, 2026 — original announcement
- City and County of Denver — Bison Conservation — herd history, conservation context, tribal donation program
- Wikipedia — Daniels Park — Daniels Park history, Yellowstone sourcing, Florence Martin donations, Tall Bull Memorial Grounds, Highlands Ranch border
- HRCA Backcountry Wilderness Area program page — Backcountry property scope and programming
- Denver Mountain Parks Foundation — Daniels Park — Daniels Park facts and attractions