Look for the bison bred back from Yellowstone genetics without the disease
Yellowstone bloodline, brucellosis bred out
A conservation herd on open prairie at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, visible from a dedicated overlook and from the Cheyenne Rim trail.
Why it's unique
Yellowstone's bison carry the most valuable genetics in North America and also carry brucellosis, which is why they cannot simply be moved elsewhere. Colorado State University researchers used assisted reproduction to produce disease-free animals that keep those genetics, and the resulting herd grazes a 2,700-acre pasture on the shortgrass prairie north of the city.
The herd is not a display. Nearly a hundred animals have been sent on to tribal, federal and private conservation herds, so what you are looking at is the source population for bison restoration elsewhere. The work happened at the university here, which is the reason the animals are here and not somewhere else.
Before you go
Manage your expectations about actually seeing them: the pasture is 2,700 acres and the animals are free to be anywhere in it, so a sighting is luck rather than a schedule. Binoculars change the odds more than an early start does.
The natural area is closed from December through February and the herd is viewable March to November. It is about 25 miles north of town on gravel for the last stretch, roughly an hour each way, and there is no water, no food and no shade once you are out there. Take more water than feels necessary.