Buffalo Paddock - American Bison HerdStop on Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, a free self-guided tour.One of Golden Gate Park's most unexpected and memorable sights is the Buffalo Paddock - a large enclosure in the western section where a small herd of American bison grazes contentedly just yards from city streets. Golden Gate Park has maintained a bison herd since 1891, making this one of the longest-running bison conservation programs in the United States - it predated the official American conservation movement by decades. At a time when American bison were being hunted nearly to extinction on the Great Plains, having them here was a deliberate statement of wonder and preservation. The current herd is rotated in partnership with other conservation programs to maintain genetic diversity. Watching these massive, ancient animals graze peacefully in the middle of a major city is a genuinely extraordinary experience.Stops on this tourMcLaren Lodge and Sharon MeadowConservatory of FlowersRhododendron DellMusic Concourse and Spreckels Temple of Musicde Young MuseumCalifornia Academy of SciencesJapanese Tea GardenSan Francisco Botanical GardenStow Lake and Strawberry HillSpreckels Lake and Model Yacht ClubPolo Fields and Speedway MeadowBuffalo Paddock - American Bison HerdRainbow Falls and Chain of LakesDutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip GardenOcean Beach - Western Gateway