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Which national park is the best place to see bison?

Yellowstone National Park is perhaps America's best-known place for viewing bison. The park is home to the largest population of non-commercial, free-range bison. Today, close to 5,000 purebred animals live freely within Yellowstone.



Yellowstone National Park is widely considered the best place in the world to see wild American bison. It is home to the largest and oldest bison population on public land in the United States, with thousands of individuals roaming freely across the park's vast valleys. The Hayden and Lamar Valleys are particularly famous "hotspots" where massive herds can often be seen grazing, crossing rivers, or even blocking traffic on the park's roads. Unlike many other locations where bison are kept in fenced enclosures, Yellowstone's bison are truly wild and follow ancient migratory patterns. For a different experience, Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park in South Dakota also offer incredible viewing opportunities against dramatic prairie and rock landscapes. In India, the Bison (Rajbari) National Park in Tripura is the premier destination to see the Indian Gaur, often referred to as the Indian Bison, which is the largest extant bovine species in the world and a majestic sight in the bamboo-rich forests.

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With that said, I can almost guarantee that you will spot wildlife while driving through Yellowstone National Park. Even if you don't manage to get up early or stay out late, your chances are very high to cross path with bison, deer, and the occasional antelope. Bear sightings are also not uncommon during the day.

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If you do any hiking or camping in Yellowstone, you SHOULD bring bear spray. Generally, you don't need bear spray when visiting the popular and crowded geyser areas and villages, such as Old Faithful and Canyon Village.

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The time of day doesn't really matter when it comes to seeing bison in the Hayden Valley, as they roam all day long, but the best time for photos is either in the morning if the herd is mostly on the west side of the valley, or after 3:00 pm if the herd is on the east side and along the Yellowstone River.

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Wolves and grizzly bears are the only large predators of adult bison.

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