Perfect Camping Spots to Watch American Bison
Perfect Camping Spots to Watch American Bison
According to the Encyclopedia, Bison is either of two species of ox-like grazing mammals. They belong to the same family as domestic cows and are genetically similar. They are genetically identical, but they are also identical in their grazing habits and preferences. They were once in their millions, roaming the Great Plains. Then they were almost hunted into extinction but were brought back to existence after so many dedicated conservation efforts. The efforts put in by the American Bison Society bred more American Bison and restored them ecologically and culturally. Bison are also often and wrongly referred to as Buffalo.
You can see Bison in their natural habitat across several native American reservations and other private properties. If you would be visiting these camping spots and spending days, it is advisable to take a portable power station like the Acevolt Campower.
Where to See American Bison
Here's a compiled list of perfect camping spots to watch American Bison:
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana
Yellowstone National Park is, without question, the best place you should go to see American Bison. It hosts the largest population of American Bison in their natural habitat as it is the only park in the country where American Bison have lived through their near extinction and rehabilitation.
The Yellowstone National Park is unique because it doesn't host hybridized Bison but the purest American Bison. They are Bison that show their ancestors' behaviors, such as migrating and exploring. They also gather during mating seasons, and these behaviors have helped these pure species of American Bison to survive the hunting craze of the 19th century. They thrive even till this time at the Yellowstone National Park.
The perfect spots to see American Bison at Yellowstone National Park are Lamar and Hayden valleys.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The Grand Teton National Park is just south of the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It hosts nearly 1000 American Bison and other large animals like moose, wolves, elk, and black and grizzly bears. You would see bison in Grand Teton National Park along Mormon road and Antelope Flats road, which have beautiful views at sunrise. You would also catch a sight of Bison on the grasslands along the Snake River.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established in 1947, and as of then, there was no American Bison present. However, the first set of American Bison was introduced into the park nine years later, in 1956, and they consisted of 5 male and 24 female American Bison. They were brought to the park's South Unit from Nebraska's Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge.
The founding American Bison in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park were able to thrive due to their ability to adjust to the extreme climate of North Dakota, from freezingly cold weather to scorchingly hot weather. They also became so many because their natural predators, wolves and grizzly bears, were not reintroduced after their extinction. You would also find American Bison easily in this Park.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
The beautiful Badlands National Park is located a short drive away from Rapid City, South Dakota. This park also played a massive role in the conservation history of Bison in America. In the 1960s, 60 American Bison were introduced into this park. In the 1980s, 20 Bison were added. Now, the park hosts more than 1200 American Bison putting the Badlands National Park above the threshold of a conservation herd. This means that the park has gotten to a stage where it would be able to take care of the natural reproduction and expansion of American Bison.
Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
This is another incredible Park to see Bison in America. There are only two genetically pure American Bison herds in America, and the Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, is one of them. The second one, of course, is the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
The Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, hosts about 250 to 400 non-hybridized American Bison. When you visit this park, you have a 100% of seeing American Bison. The challenge facing this park, however, is keeping the genetic purity of Bison in the Park and not getting them mixed up with the hybridized animals in the neighboring Custer State Park.
American Prairie Reserve, Montana
American Prairie Reserve is a non-profit wildlife reserve which is located in Southern Montana. The reserve gradually began to purchase and lease tracts of grasslands to reconnect 3 million acres of public land.
American Prairie Reserve is within a large and securely fenced area, and it aims to develop non-hybridized Bison. This means that these Bison would be free of cattle genes. During the fall, you would see them gathering in big groups.
Antelope Island State Park, Utah
It is easy to find bison herds roaming freely in the Antelope Island State Park, Utah, as the Island hosts about 700 bison herds. Their ancestors roamed around this Island since 1893, thus making it the second oldest bison herd in the country. The oldest is Yellowstone National Park.
Catalina Island, California
14 American Bison were relocated to Catalina Island, California, in 1924 for the primary purpose of shooting a western movie. Although the source of these Bison is unknown, they now number about 150 Bison. The numbers had exceeded that in the past, but some have been relocated to other parks like the Morongo Band of Missions Indians and the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
The Island offers Eco Tours, which provides the opportunity to see American Bison and learn about the history of Catalina Island. There is also a two-hours off-the-road bison expedition provided by the Catalina Island company, where you can spot bison herds from a safe distance.
Henry Mountains, Utah
The Henry Mountains is located in Southern Utah, and it hosts about 300 to 500 American Bison. The bison here are direct descendants of the 18 Bison transplanted from the Yellowstone Park Bison in 1941 to the Arid Desert of Utah Robbers' Roost. This means that all American Bison in the Henry Mountains are genetically pure. The Henry Mountains is one of the two American Bison herds that the state of Utah oversees.
National Bison Range, Montana
This preserve was established in 1908 by Teddy Roosevelt. It is located near Flathead Lake. There was an initial herd of 40 Bison, which were relocated from the ABS. The National Bison Range, Montana, has about 19000 acres of grasslands and hosts animals like elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and rocky mountain goats alongside a few hundreds of Bison. You can as well drive through the National Bison Range to have a view of the area's wildlife in their natural habitat.
Seeing the American Bison is an exciting event. However, we must give these animals space, not only for our safety but also for their safety. It is advisable that when visiting any of these parks listed above, we give and maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from a Bison as they can run through 35 miles in an hour. There are wildlife safety guidelines that should be followed, including not approaching a bison or trying to scare or chase them away.
Do not forget to take a portable power station along with you if you will be staying longer than a day at these camping spots. The Acevolt Campower would always come in handy in keeping all your devices charged so you can take pictures and videos of your exploration. The Acevolt Campower would also power your refrigerator to keep your food safe and edible throughout your stay.
Leave a comment