"Where the Buffalo Roam" Top 5 Page for this destination Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park Things to Do Tip by sarahandgareth

Buffalo, or bison (the names are interchangeable) were reintroduced to the Park in 1956, having been hunted almost to extinction by the end of the nineteenth century (it didn't take many settlers to bring about their near extermination).

Now they are one of the most imposing, and exciting, sights in the park. Our first sight of the buffalo was on a low hill in the North Unit. They seemed to be grazing placidly, but later something spooked them and they moved rapidly onward: we could just about imagine what a true stampede must have been like in the late 1800s.

They are magnificent animals, with a complex social structure. Twice, we saw big bulls wandering the park alone, one throwing up dust as he descended a steep slope in search of food, the other impassively presenting his rump to us as we passed by, on tenterhooks, in our tiny-looking car.

Directions: There's no guaranteed sighting point: keep your eyes open and hope you get a good view!