Golden Gate Park Bison Paddock

What you need to know

What’s There

A small herd of American bison (typically 5 to 30 animals over the program’s history) lives in an 11-acre paddock along JFK Drive in the western half of Golden Gate Park. The animals are usually visible from the fence line, grazing or standing in the meadow. The first bison arrived in 1891, brought in by park superintendent John McLaren as part of a species preservation effort.

There’s no interpretive center, no feeding, no interaction. Just a fence and a meadow.

Visiting

Address: JFK Drive near 39th Avenue, Golden Gate Park (western half)

Hours: Visible from the road during park hours

Cost: Free

Best time to go: Mornings, when the bison are more active and often closer to the fence.

What to know: Stay behind the fence. Don’t feed or approach the animals.

Getting There

Transit: Muni 5-Fulton to 36th Avenue, then walk south into the park. The 29-Sunset also passes nearby.

Parking: Free parking along JFK Drive near the paddock.

Walking: Near Spreckels Lake, the Portals of the Past, and the Dutch Windmill at the park’s western edge.