Colorado Porch

Outdoors and wildfire - Front Range

Denver keeps a bison herd you can see from I-70 at Genesee

The City and County of Denver maintains a small bison herd at Genesee Park, visible from Interstate 70 in the foothills west of the city.

Published June 10, 2026 - Last verified June 11, 2026

Drive west out of Denver on Interstate 70 and, in the foothills, you may spot a herd of bison grazing on the hillside. That is no accident.

The City and County of Denver keeps a bison herd at Genesee Park, part of the Denver Mountain Parks system, on land Denver bought more than a hundred years ago. Genesee is the largest of those mountain parks. The animals live in fenced pasture you can see from the highway, with a viewing spot off the interstate.

A few things to keep in mind. Bison are wild, powerful animals, not livestock to walk up to. They stay behind sturdy fencing for a reason, and visitors should view them from the designated areas and never try to enter the pasture or feed them. They can move fast and are far stronger than they look.

Why care: it is an easy, family-friendly wildlife stop close to the city, and knowing the simple safety rule keeps it that way.

For viewing details and park rules, check the City and County of Denver’s Mountain Parks information.

Filed under: Outdoors and wildfire Denver County

Keep reading

Related Porch Notes

More notes from Denver County and nearby topics.

Outdoors and wildfire

Daniels Park is Denver's wide-open park out on the plains

Daniels Park is a Denver Mountain Park down in Douglas County, set on open high plains with long views of the mountains and a second city bison herd.

Read note ->

Outdoors and wildfire

Summit Lake is a Denver park in the alpine, high on Mount Blue Sky

Summit Lake Park, a Denver Mountain Park near the top of Mount Blue Sky, sits in true alpine tundra where the weather and altitude need respect.

Read note ->

Outdoors and wildfire

Washington Park is Denver's outdoor living room

Wash Park pairs two hand-launch boating lakes, Denver's biggest formal flower beds, and a loop path that the neighborhood treats like a shared backyard.

Read note ->

Outdoors and wildfire

Denver's parks come with prairie dogs, geese, foxes, and coyotes

City parks and open spaces in Denver host wildlife like prairie dogs, Canada geese, red foxes, and coyotes, and the city asks residents not to feed them.

Read note ->

Outdoors and wildfire

You still need a fishing license at Denver's city lakes

Colorado's fishing license rules apply at Denver's urban lakes and rivers just as they do in the mountains; anyone 16 or older needs a license.

Read note ->

Water and land

Denver owns a chain of mountain parks far outside the city

The City and County of Denver owns dozens of mountain parks in the foothills and high country, miles outside its own borders, including Red Rocks, Genesee, and Echo Lake.

Read note ->

Sources and review

Where this information comes from

This note uses official or primary sources where practical. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.

Last reviewed
June 11, 2026