Bison Are Returning to Highlands Ranch for the First Time in More Than 100 Years

Photo by Becca Venable

This summer, a piece of American West history is coming home to the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

For the first time in more than a century, bison will once again roam the grasslands of Highlands Ranch as part of a major conservation partnership between the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund, Denver Mountain Parks, and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.

Beginning in June, the bison from the historic Daniels Park herd will move into a newly prepared 200-acre pasture within the Backcountry Wilderness Area. The Daniels Park herd is one of Colorado’s oldest conservation herds and is closely connected to the well-known Genesee herd visible along I-70. The herd is also considered one of the last genetically pure bison herds in the United States, making its conservation especially important.

The return of bison is more than symbolic—it’s ecological restoration in action.

Long before Highlands Ranch became a community, bison shaped these grasslands through their grazing patterns, movement, and natural behaviors. Their presence supported healthy prairie ecosystems, creating habitat for birds, pollinators, and countless native species. Reintroducing them to this landscape helps restore some of the natural balance that once existed across the Front Range.

Owned and managed by the Highlands Ranch Community Association, the 7,440-acre Backcountry Wilderness Area is one of the largest privately-managed conservation properties in the Denver metro area. For years, the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund has worked to protect and restore this landscape through conservation, education, and stewardship initiatives.

In the coming months, there will be special UTV Tours to the new grazing area, along with educational programs connected to the project. While the bison will live in a carefully managed habitat, their arrival marks a rare opportunity for the community to witness conservation happening in real time.

More than 100 years after bison were removed from this landscape, their return signals something hopeful: that even in a growing metro area, there is still room to restore wildlife, preserve open space, and reconnect with Colorado’s wild heritage.