Lamar Buffalo Ranch

The Lamar Buffalo Ranch is a historic livestock ranch in the Lamar River valley of Yellowstone National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It was created to preserve one of the last free-roaming American bison (buffalo) herds in the United States. The ranch was established in 1907 when 28 bison were moved from Fort Yellowstone to the Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of the park.[2]

Lamar Buffalo Ranch
Nearest cityMammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, United States
Coordinates44°53′32″N 110°14′23″W
Built1907
ArchitectNational Park Service
MPSYellowstone National Park MPS
NRHP reference No.82001835
Added to NRHPDecember 7, 1982[1]

The herd at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch was maintained as a semi-domesticated source of additional bison to enhance the park's natural herd. As the ranched herd increased in size, it was released to the open range, where it interbred with the wild herd. After the ranched bison were successfully integrated, the ranch continued to be used to produce hay to feed wild bison in the winter until the 1950s. Because the winter feeding program maintained the herd at artificially high levels and distorted the distribution of bison in the park, it fell from favor as the National Park Service adopted wildlife management policies that attempted to interfere as little as possible with each species' natural ecology.

Today the Lamar Buffalo Ranch is maintained as an historic district comprising five buildings built in the early 20th century. The complex includes a ranger station built in 1915, a bunkhouse built in 1929, a residence which was moved from Soda Butte in 1938, a barn built in 1927, and a corral. The interior of the bunkhouse has since been remodeled and is currently used by the park's public stewardship institute, Yellowstone Forever (formerly the Yellowstone Association), which conducts classes and seminars there.

Lamar Buffalo Ranch buildings

See also

Yellowstone Park bison herd

Notes
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Lamar Buffalo Ranch". National Register of Historic Places. Wyoming State Preservation Office. 2008-10-24.
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