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We stopped by this past weekend to check out the bison, only to be seen from a distance behind layers of fencing and wires. They weren't doing anything too interesting, just relaxing on a warm Sunday afternoon, sitting, stretching, and/or grazing in the paddock, as visitors observed and read the sign describing the amazing story behind the conservation of these valued creatures. Street parking was available right up front, and honestly it doesn't take more than 15 minutes to pay a visit, while exploring other beautiful sites and events at Golden Gate Park.
Bison in San Francisco? Yep it's true and you can find them at the Golden Gate Park. You can find the herd next to Spreckels Lake, along John F. Kennedy Drive. In 1891, one bison cow and one bison bull were transported here to make Golden Gate Park their home. Staff from the San Francisco Zoo care for the Bison here. They provide care, feeding and veterinary services, while the San Francisco Recreation and Park department maintain the grounds. If you wish to view the live webcam of the buffalo, you can view it here (https://www.goldengatepark150.com/bison). There may or may not be any activity though when you click on it. For the 150th anniversary of buffalo first making their home here, 5 young bison were introduced to the existing herd here. Free to visit and park. I came by here on a Saturday afternoon with my husband and our little girl dog. A friend of mine had suggested it since we had just came from a long road trip from Los Angeles to Yellowstone and Grand Teton (and had visited several other national parks along the way). Although we did see plenty of bison in both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton (and much closer than we did at this park), my friend brought up the idea in case we did not know there were bison here in San Francisco. So around 2:30 pm, we were able to find plenty of parking along side the fenced in area of these massive creatures. There weren't too many people around so it was nice to watch them quietly. We saw just a few as they were just grazing. But they do have a large area to roam so I can only imagine the rest of the herd was much further away. Golden Gate Park in such a magical wonder and am always finding so much delight every time I visit.
"My place is with you. I go where you go." - Kicking Bird (Lakota), Dances with Wolves What?! You haven't seen or heard about the Buffalos of Golden Gate Park? Talk about being late to the party! The hors d'oeuvres are long since gone, the DJ looks ready for retirement and the New Year's revelers are doing the Electric Slide for the fifth time. Still, tardiness may not diminish the appeal of this American legend! Now the Buffalo vs. Bison debate: What Native Americans saw 500 years ago is the great American Bison and not really Buffalo in name. The use of "Buffalo" actually first came from European settlers who mistakenly thought they were old world Buffalo (found in Africa or Asia). So the old song... "where the Buffalo roam..." should really be... "where the Bison roam.." The history of the American Bison at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco goes back to 1890, story goes that a distinct Bison cow and one Bison bull were transported from the rolling Great Plains to the urban paradise of the Golden Gate Park in California. Hailing from parts of Wyoming and Kansas, the cow was named "Sarah Bernhardt", while the bull was called "Ben Harrison". Named after popular celebrities of the time. As years became decades... more and more Bison called Golden Gate Park home. By the 1990's an estimated 100 calves were born here on the Paddock. 100 years and 100 calves later... This San Francisco herd helped North America surpass the 200,000 mark for the great American Bison, this after being on the brink of extinction for many years due to European settlers over hunting these majestic animals of God. Today, the American Bison population has more than doubled in size, to well over 500,000, and some have actually been reintroduced into the wild. Still, with all the good news it'll never reach the 60 million that once roamed the Americas prior to European settlers and the introduction of domesticated cattle. Sad, but true. In the end, a visit to the Paddock "where the Bison roam..." is a magical experience for those into American history and animal conservation. Kids would love a visit too! Trust! To imagine these great American treasures were nearly extinct brings a tear to my eye... and it all started with "Sarah Bernhardt" and "Ben Harrison"... May God Bless America and the Bison that roam...
Yes, there are Bison in SF, in particular Golden Gate Park!! I counted about 10 Bison, and they were somewhat active. They have a large area to roam in, and are a great attraction. I make it a point every time I come to Golden Gate Park to come here, chill out and watch them do the roam thing. A great option when in the Park!!
The bison are an extension of the SF Zoo ... ifs always lovely watching these beasts roam around.
Yes there are bison in golden gate park. Stop by and see them if you are in the area. Interesting and unique part of the city.
Really a beautiful place to come and visit we'll have to start coming to San Francisco to check out all their neat dog parks and parks in general funny to San Francisco looks better than Oakland and Oakland it even smells better in San Francisco amazing yeah we'll come back
Golden Gate Park is full of little pocket gems like the Shakespeare Garden and magical, grand swaths of green grass and trees like Hellman Hollow. And mystically, a Bison Paddock! I purposely took the long way across town through Golden Gate Park to the outer Richmond and reveled that we're lucky to live in such a beautiful city with its green, undeveloped expanses and quirky things- Like Buffalo. In Golden Gate Park. It's kind of crazy and a little cool, much like its residents.
One of my all time favorite spots in golden gate park. The area usually isn't too busy and it's like a hidden treasure. Sometimes the Bison aren't out but when they are you can observe these wonderful creatures grazing and laying about.
"Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play, Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day..." -- John A. Lomax (1910) When I saw my friend, Alana's, check in, I couldn't believe it! Bison at Golden Gate Park? In all the years that I have visited San Francisco, I hadn't known about this phenomenon! This was on the top of my list of things to see! One misty, overcast, and chilly day in March 2016, my cousin, Marilyn, and her husband, Philip, drove my Travel Buddy, Yuri, and me through Golden Gate Park to see the Bison! Woot woot! They were out in the pasture, calmly nibbling at the lawn! It's so amazing! I want to visit them again! There's free parking along the street and no admission fee! Let's go!
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam Where the deer and the antelope play Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day Home, home on the range Where the deer and the antelope play Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day... I wonder if these bison know about the Bullshead Restaurant in West Portal. My friend Maggie and I were taking a less-than-brisk walk through Golden Gate Park last weekend when the weather was very nearly perfect. As we passed by the cement pool that is Spreckels Lake, I was starting to get worried that they would stampede knowing that I have enjoyed eating a buffalo burger at Bullshead. When we walked past the paddock on our way to the Park Chalet, we saw them lounging way in the distance under the shadow of a mammoth tree. Ah, the drawback of natural habitat areas is that they naturally habituate. Coming back from our minuscule burger at the Park Chalet (just beef, not buffalo), they were up close and grazing as a group (see photos). Much better though they couldn't be bothered by the gawking families strolling and cycling by. Since there were only five head in the herd, I wouldn't expect a replay of "Dances with Wolves" here. No, that would be "Avatar". Let's just hope the Park or Beach Chalet don't start serving Buffalo Steak Bearnaise on the menu. Or else it will be one empty field with a lot of petrified manure. By the way, for old movie trivialists, that's Ralph Bellamy and the crush-worthy Irene Dunne singing "Home on the Range" from the classic 1937 (yes, 1937!) screwball comedy, "The Awful Truth". Respect, kiddies.
I have been to the Bisons before but never saw so many of them. It was relaxing to see them. Some were roaming, eating and mingling. There are benches were you can view them in a quiet and peaceful environment. The maintenance of these Bisons are excellent. They seem peaceful and well taken care of. Their cages look clean and there are plenty for them to eat. read more
Bison are in the park and you can get up and close. Golden Gate Park is known for the Bison Pavilion. It exists thanks to a partnership with the Zoo. Check out these pretty calm creatures as they sleep or just stand around. This is located close to a few other good things. A good way to get close to animals. It's located next to the dog park. Take your dog here and then check out some bigger animals after that. An interesting history. The bison and other creatures have been in the park since 1892, even before the Zoo was opened. Of course one can't get too close to the bison. They're protected by fencing so it's not like you can pet them. Even so, you can get a good look at these gentle creatures. They seem to not move around much, so you can see a few just chilling and hanging. Cool place for one to see animals in action. It's just that they won't have much action going on. The paddock is big and has about a dozen or so of the bison sleeping or wandering. read more
3 years ago
We stopped by this past weekend to check out the bison, only to be seen from a distance behind layers of fencing and wires. They weren't doing anything too interesting, just relaxing on a warm Sunday afternoon, sitting, stretching, and/or grazing in the paddock, as visitors observed and read the sign describing the amazing story behind the conservation of these valued creatures. Street parking was available right up front, and honestly it doesn't take more than 15 minutes to pay a visit, while exploring other beautiful sites and events at Golden Gate Park. read more
Bison in San Francisco? Yep it's true and you can find them at the Golden Gate Park. You can find the herd next to Spreckels Lake, along John F. Kennedy Drive. In 1891, one bison cow and one bison bull were transported here to make Golden Gate Park their home. Staff from the San Francisco Zoo care for the Bison here. They provide care, feeding and veterinary services, while the San Francisco Recreation and Park department maintain the grounds. If you wish to view the live webcam of the buffalo, you can view it here (https://www.goldengatepark150.com/bison). There may or may not be any activity though when you click on it. For the 150th anniversary of buffalo first making their home here, 5 young bison were introduced to the existing herd here. Free to visit and park. I came by here on a Saturday afternoon with my husband and our little girl dog. A friend of mine had suggested it since we had just came from a long road trip from Los Angeles to Yellowstone and Grand Teton (and had visited several other national parks along the way). Although we did see plenty of bison in both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton (and much closer than we did at this park), my friend brought up the idea in case we did not know there were bison here in San Francisco. So around 2:30 pm, we were able to find plenty of parking along side the fenced in area of these massive creatures. There weren't too many people around so it was nice to watch them quietly. We saw just a few as they were just grazing. But they do have a large area to roam so I can only imagine the rest of the herd was much further away. Golden Gate Park in such a magical wonder and am always finding so much delight every time I visit. read more
"My place is with you. I go where you go." - Kicking Bird (Lakota), Dances with Wolves What?! You haven't seen or heard about the Buffalos of Golden Gate Park? Talk about being late to the party! The hors d'oeuvres are long since gone, the DJ looks ready for retirement and the New Year's revelers are doing the Electric Slide for the fifth time. Still, tardiness may not diminish the appeal of this American legend! Now the Buffalo vs. Bison debate: What Native Americans saw 500 years ago is the great American Bison and not really Buffalo in name. The use of "Buffalo" actually first came from European settlers who mistakenly thought they were old world Buffalo (found in Africa or Asia). So the old song... "where the Buffalo roam..." should really be... "where the Bison roam.." The history of the American Bison at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco goes back to 1890, story goes that a distinct Bison cow and one Bison bull were transported from the rolling Great Plains to the urban paradise of the Golden Gate Park in California. Hailing from parts of Wyoming and Kansas, the cow was named "Sarah Bernhardt", while the bull was called "Ben Harrison". Named after popular celebrities of the time. As years became decades... more and more Bison called Golden Gate Park home. By the 1990's an estimated 100 calves were born here on the Paddock. 100 years and 100 calves later... This San Francisco herd helped North America surpass the 200,000 mark for the great American Bison, this after being on the brink of extinction for many years due to European settlers over hunting these majestic animals of God. Today, the American Bison population has more than doubled in size, to well over 500,000, and some have actually been reintroduced into the wild. Still, with all the good news it'll never reach the 60 million that once roamed the Americas prior to European settlers and the introduction of domesticated cattle. Sad, but true. In the end, a visit to the Paddock "where the Bison roam..." is a magical experience for those into American history and animal conservation. Kids would love a visit too! Trust! To imagine these great American treasures were nearly extinct brings a tear to my eye... and it all started with "Sarah Bernhardt" and "Ben Harrison"... May God Bless America and the Bison that roam... read more
Yes, there are Bison in SF, in particular Golden Gate Park!! I counted about 10 Bison, and they were somewhat active. They have a large area to roam in, and are a great attraction. I make it a point every time I come to Golden Gate Park to come here, chill out and watch them do the roam thing. A great option when in the Park!! read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
Really a beautiful place to come and visit we'll have to start coming to San Francisco to check out all their neat dog parks and parks in general funny to San Francisco looks better than Oakland and Oakland it even smells better in San Francisco amazing yeah we'll come back read more
9 years ago
Golden Gate Park is full of little pocket gems like the Shakespeare Garden and magical, grand swaths of green grass and trees like Hellman Hollow. And mystically, a Bison Paddock! I purposely took the long way across town through Golden Gate Park to the outer Richmond and reveled that we're lucky to live in such a beautiful city with its green, undeveloped expanses and quirky things- Like Buffalo. In Golden Gate Park. It's kind of crazy and a little cool, much like its residents. read more
4 years ago
One of my all time favorite spots in golden gate park. The area usually isn't too busy and it's like a hidden treasure. Sometimes the Bison aren't out but when they are you can observe these wonderful creatures grazing and laying about. read more
8 years ago
"Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play, Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day..." -- John A. Lomax (1910) When I saw my friend, Alana's, check in, I couldn't believe it! Bison at Golden Gate Park? In all the years that I have visited San Francisco, I hadn't known about this phenomenon! This was on the top of my list of things to see! One misty, overcast, and chilly day in March 2016, my cousin, Marilyn, and her husband, Philip, drove my Travel Buddy, Yuri, and me through Golden Gate Park to see the Bison! Woot woot! They were out in the pasture, calmly nibbling at the lawn! It's so amazing! I want to visit them again! There's free parking along the street and no admission fee! Let's go! read more
5 years ago
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam Where the deer and the antelope play Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day Home, home on the range Where the deer and the antelope play Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day... I wonder if these bison know about the Bullshead Restaurant in West Portal. My friend Maggie and I were taking a less-than-brisk walk through Golden Gate Park last weekend when the weather was very nearly perfect. As we passed by the cement pool that is Spreckels Lake, I was starting to get worried that they would stampede knowing that I have enjoyed eating a buffalo burger at Bullshead. When we walked past the paddock on our way to the Park Chalet, we saw them lounging way in the distance under the shadow of a mammoth tree. Ah, the drawback of natural habitat areas is that they naturally habituate. Coming back from our minuscule burger at the Park Chalet (just beef, not buffalo), they were up close and grazing as a group (see photos). Much better though they couldn't be bothered by the gawking families strolling and cycling by. Since there were only five head in the herd, I wouldn't expect a replay of "Dances with Wolves" here. No, that would be "Avatar". Let's just hope the Park or Beach Chalet don't start serving Buffalo Steak Bearnaise on the menu. Or else it will be one empty field with a lot of petrified manure. By the way, for old movie trivialists, that's Ralph Bellamy and the crush-worthy Irene Dunne singing "Home on the Range" from the classic 1937 (yes, 1937!) screwball comedy, "The Awful Truth". Respect, kiddies. read more
13 years ago
" I thought bison were extinct"-my boyfriend "The eductation system obviously failed you"-me Embarassing but that's truly what he said when I first took us to this spot. That being said, once here, we found it extremely enjoyable to take a gander at these guys-they are pretty magnificent. A few times we've arrived around feeding time and they are patiently gathered while the keeper sets up their trough. We were there recently right around noon and got to see them up close. Other times they were spread out further back. If you bring binoculars, or just curb your expectations, it's a lot of fun. Pretty easy to find off JFK Drive if you're coming from Ocean Beach. A few times we parked near Sutro Heights Park, walked around there, then headed towards the Windmill and then made our way through the park to the Bison Paddock. Definitely an enjoyable and not too challenging of a walk. It's free and wonderful. Not sure what else there is to say, except HOORAY! read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
The bison just chill on their own alone and unbothered from people like they should be in the wild. Although i wish i could get up close to them, they deserve to have that space. The history behind this bison park is great, I recommend everyone read it when they come see it. Not much to do here, you will probably get bored after 5 minutes, but it's still a nice spot to see while walking through Golden Gate Park. read more
Although I am not a huge fan caging animals my pup love love loves this place. The buffalo look well cared for and happy. They have plenty of room to roam. This is a great place to park, have a picnic and watch the buffalo. read more
10 years ago
REVIEWER # 113 Golden Gate Park? Bison's? Yes, put two and two together and there are bison's at the Golden Gate Park!! Every time I come to this park I always have to make a stop to see these herd of real live bison's that reside in the G.G. Park! I do a couple of events at this park such as marathons and AIDS walk. After I trek around a few miles at this park and I start getting tired I start losing hope that my car is too far away and I may not make it! Whoa, but once I turn that corner my face glows as I look up and see the massive bison right over the fence. It is always such an awe moment for me as many times they are so close to the fence that it makes the view THAT much amazing! DID YOU KNOW: The bison's have been at the GG Park since 1890! This was when the park commission brought the first of them from the Great Plains where there were only about 1,000 bison's remaining! The last of the old bison died in late 2014, and now only younger bison remain. There are currently only female bison in the herd. They are taken care of by the SF Zoological Society. You can find the bison's near JFK Drive near Chain of Lakes Drive! They are not at all active but I have to be honest that it catches people's attention once they see it because bison's are the last thing you would think to see at this park! REVIEW 104/196 read more
11 years ago
So, Bison in GG Park? Who knew, right? Every time I told people about it - they never believed me. But yes, yes - There is a place where the Bison's roam in Golden Gate Park. We went on a Saturday so I would think it would be the busiest. There is street parking right by the fence & tons of it! There are also benches that you can sit on & watch the bison. There are gopher holes all over - we saw a gopher while we were there! There is a little information plaque on one side - very informational. I was trying to see if there was the exact number of bison in the park but nothing. The bison just graze - very interesting to see that this is located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I think you should check it out - sort of like being in a zoo (not my fave - if you know me) read more
This review is dedicated to my DAD on Father's Day! The best dad in the world! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aBXHGZmzSnskDjEITdrwoQ?select=hUk6-epf03sdfQIuFetl7A http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aBXHGZmzSnskDjEITdrwoQ?select=fOYPlUMtrLYf8eEjq8n8Bg I stopped by the Bison Paddock with my 75-year old dad and much younger mom at 65 while visiting the Golden Gate Park. There's something about the bisons that always make stop, park my car and just stare at them for few minutes or so. It must be their gentle beauty -- powerful yet calm. They don't do anything but just gently graze on the peaceful green Golden Gate meadows. Millions used to freely roam North America centuries ago but they were hunted for their meat and fur. They almost became extinct. Now there are about 200.000 in existence all over United States. I was just thinking, nature, just like our loved ones, should be cherished while they are still around--because they are not going to be with us forever. Maybe the bisons remind me to slow down and focus on what will really count in the end--families, loved ones and friends. It is becoming more rare that I can spend time with my old but youthful mommy and daddy. This visit at Golden Gate Park watching the bisons together will be forever embedded in my memory. It was a beautiful sunny day that I will always cherish. read more
18 years ago
Bison have been at Golden Gate Park since 1890 when a bison cow (named Sarah Bernhardt) and bison bull (named Ben Harrison) were transported from the rolling Great Plains. They started transporting more bison to the Park until there were 30 bison in 1918. Unfortunately they then had to deal with bovine tuberculosis and many were transferred to a different location. When I went to see them I could only spot a total of 6 bison. While there is nothing all that exciting about watching bison just graze or walk around or sometimes run, it's still pretty cool to see them roaming in their paddock. And they can move pretty fast! They ran around a couple of times and it was pretty cool to see. Apparently they are able to go up to 30mph. read more
Once you are nestled inside Golden Gate Park, it's hard to remember that you are in the middle of a major metropolitan city! This is an amazing beautiful part of the park that seems overlooked by those wandering around the massive expanse in the middle of the city. We parked across the street from the placard outside the paddock, which is the only indication that anything is behind the fence as all of the bison were in one of the back pens. We walked along a sand path that ran alongside the fence and after a short distance, started to make out the outline of the massive beasts among the grass. We were among three other people, all of whom were in the same group, and were pressing their phones against the chain link fence trying to get the best picture of the bison. One kid tried to scale the fence and was met with a slap from good ol' gravity. Not too surprising, the bison were not bothered at all by the human presence although there was quite a distance between the outer fence and where they were located. On our way back to the car, the husband decided to walk along the opposite end of the paddock from whence we came. Mistake! The other path was significantly longer as it stretched along the back and side of the paddock which is quite massive- so they are not pinned in a small enclosure as they would be in a zoo. We were walking the dogs who became increasingly exhausted and I ended up carrying our little one back to the car. On our long loop back to the car, we passed by a dog park and public restrooms so if you are in need of either, turning right at the paddock is the direction for you. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes- you will get dirty between the dirt and sand from the trail and if you take the long way back to your car, comfortable shoes are a must! It was a lot of fun and was the first time I had ever seen bison in the flesh. read more
5 years ago
One word - Bison! I've visited Golden Gate Park several times, and I recently discovered this area! There's usually a lot of bison roaming around, but I only saw two when I went. Parking is not too difficult to find. read more
14 years ago
I am fascinated with the Bison paddock. Although not much goes on, these creatures are mesmerizing. It's reflective and transports you to a piece of the Wild West that you otherwise would not experience. These creatures move slowly behind the protective fence. Deceivingly so, as they have been reported to be able to run up to 40 miles an hour. These are among the last surviving species of the American Bison or Buffalo. The park has a successful breeding program which has contributed more than 100 calves to the remaining 200,000 North American Bison population. read more
And finally too, I saw the Golden Gate Park Bison! It was interesting to read the history of them as they were brought here to stimulate their population as the number of bison were dwindling to almost nothing in the late 1800s (if I remember the year right). Their numbers are much better now thanks to this program. In fact, one of the bison tried to mount the other while I was there so they were trying to increase numbers right in front of me LOL! They seemed quite tame and content, enjoying the Sunday sun after it had rained the day before. Happy bison! read more
7 years ago
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John F Kennedy Dr & Chain of Lakes Dr E
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