News
Bison Range Fees Will Increase
There are lots of newborn bison and other wildlife at the National Bison Range these days, range managers say, but if you're headed that way pack some extra cash.
As of July 5, access fees for the scenic drives through the refuge are going up.
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Not only have general costs gone up, but visitor numbers have dropped, he said.
Last year, about 131,000 people visited the bison range; an estimated 135,000 are expected to visit this year. But as large as those numbers seem, they fall far short of the range's popularity in the 1990s - after the Hollywood blockbuster “Dances with Wolves” came out - when upward of 220,000 visitors came each year to see the herd.
Money collected from access fees helps pay for such things as wages, dust control, road grading and law enforcement, West said.
“It's a great time to come visit,” West said. “We have lots of babies, good grass conditions, and the road is in good shape.”
Although the cost for the range's scenic drives has gone up, access to other amenities at the range remains free, including the visitor center, day-use area and nature trail, and fishing along Mission Creek and the Jocko River.
Fees will not be charged during winter, when some scenic drives are closed.
