The Terry Bison Ranch Resort
The Terry Bison Ranch Resort in Cheyenne, WY is a great bargain adventure with the kids. The train tour of the buffalo is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children. Check the Price List at their website since they can vary seasonally.
The Train Ride in Winter
We have done the train tour twice in the winter. While the train is heated (sort of) be sure to dress for outdoor weather. On our first trip our train was lodged in the snow for a bit, but that just added to the adventure.
The train out to the buffalo is very loud and smells strongly of diesel fumes. Do not expect an Amtrak-like experience. But the discomfort of the ride is more than made up for in the experience of seeing the herd of buffalo up close. There are many interesting animals on the way out to the buffalo herd, so going on the train ride is a bit like going to a zoo.
Feeding the Buffalo
Once you arrive at the herd, kids can literally place a potato into the mouth of the big daddy buffalo, who puts his head right into the train car. You can see this in action in the video below. If you are brave enough, you can put your hand right into the mouth of a buffalo and feel its giant tongue wrap around your hand. But to do that you need to tolerate some buffalo saliva.
The Terry Bison Ranch Resort also raises buffalo for buffalo steaks and burgers. But never fear…the buffalo that you see on the train ride are a special herd that are not harvested for food. The ranch follows the “don’t name what you eat” rule. The little herd on the train trip is dwarfed by the much larger herd that grazes farther away from the ranch.
We haven’t been to the ranch in the summer, so be sure to comment below if you have experiences to share.
Watch our video
How to get there
The Terry Bison Ranch Resort is just across the Colorado border. From Denver, it is a straight shot up Interstate 25, so it makes a great day trip. We started our adventure from Fort Collins, so the trip was even shorter.
The train trip is a bargain and a great day trip with kids from the Denver area. The steakhouse was a bit too expensive for dining with children. It would be a lot of fun to go horseback riding, but that was too expensive for us to do with four grandchildren. Prices in the gift store were very reasonable and they have some unique trinkets.
Ostriches, peacocks, goats, horses, and, of course, lots of bison! The ranch really makes an effort to make it a great experience. There is also horseback riding and kids fishing.
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