Colorado has no commercial drive-thru safari parks. It does have 2 places where you can drive your own car through wild herds of bison and elk, and one of them is completely free and just 10 miles from downtown Denver.
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (Commerce City)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Type: Free self-guided 11-mile Wildlife Drive through a national wildlife refuge with a free-roaming bison herd
Location: 6550 Gateway Road, Commerce City, CO 80022 (about 10 miles northeast of downtown Denver)
Phone: Visitor Center (303) 289-0930 · Headquarters (303) 289-0232
Email: rockymountainarsenal@fws.gov
Website: fws.gov – Rocky Mountain Arsenal · Visit Info · Wildlife Drive & Trails Map · Free Audio Tour
Social Media: No site-specific accounts. It’s run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Facebook · Instagram).
Size: About 15,000 acres of restored prairie, wetlands, and lakes
Drive Time: 45–60 minutes for the 11-mile loop
Animals: 330+ species, including American bison, mule deer, white-tailed deer, coyotes, prairie dogs, bald eagles, hawks, burrowing owls, and waterfowl. There’s also an endangered black-footed ferret exhibit behind the visitor center.
History: It was once a chemical weapons manufacturing site and is now one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the country.
Admission: FREE
Hours:
- Refuge: Sunrise to sunset in fall, winter, and spring. May 1 – Aug 1, it’s open sunrise to 8 PM.
- Visitor Center: Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM – 4 PM. It’s closed on all federal holidays.
- Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, last entry is 11:30 AM and the refuge closes at 12:30 PM.
Best Time: Sunrise and sunset, when the animals are most active
Rules:
- Stay in your vehicle when viewing bison.
- No feeding wildlife.
- Only service dogs are allowed. No pets.
- Park only in designated lots.
Other Activities:
- Trails: the 1-mile Discovery Trail, the Lake Mary Loop with its boardwalk, the Lake Ladora Loop, and the Rocky Mountain Greenway.
- Catch-and-release fishing runs April through November.
- Also archery, birding, ranger-led programs, and snowshoeing in winter.
- Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Type: National park where you can drive scenic roads through meadows where wild elk herds graze. It’s Colorado’s top spot for the fall elk rut.
Location: 1000 US Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517 (Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, about 1.5 hours from Denver)
Phone: Park info (970) 586-1206 · Trail Ridge Road status line (970) 586-1222 (24 hours)
Website: nps.gov/romo · Fees & Passes · Timed Entry Info · Book Timed Entry
Social Media:
Size: About 265,000 acres
Animals: Elk, moose (especially on the west side), mule deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, marmots, and pikas. Black bears live here but are seen less often.
Admission:
- Private vehicle: $30 for 1 day, or $35 for 7 days
- Park annual pass: $70
- America the Beautiful annual pass: $80
- Non-U.S. residents 16+ pay an extra $100 per person unless they have an annual pass.
- Payment is by card only.
- Free entry for U.S. residents on Oct 27 (Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday) and Nov 11 (Veterans Day).
Timed Entry Reservations (2026):
- Standard Timed Entry covers everything except Bear Lake Road. It’s required 9 AM – 2 PM through October 12.
- Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road covers Moraine Park and Bear Lake. It’s required starting at 5 AM daily through October 18.
- You can skip the reservation by entering before or after the required hours.
- No reservations are needed from late October to late May.
Best Elk Viewing (from your car):
- The rut runs mid-September to mid-October, with bulls bugling and sparring in the meadows.
- Moraine Park and Upper Beaver Meadows are both on the Bear Lake Road side. Upper Beaver Meadows is usually less crowded.
- Horseshoe Park is near the Fall River entrance.
- Elk also wander through the town of Estes Park itself.
- Early morning and dusk are best.
Trail Ridge Road: The highest continuous paved road in the U.S. It usually closes to through traffic in mid-to-late October for the winter, so call the status line before you go.
Viewing Rules:
- Stay at least 25 yards from elk, and 75 yards during the rut.
- Pull fully off the road, and never block traffic.
- Don’t feed wildlife.
- Pets are allowed only on roads, in parking lots, and in campgrounds. They’re not allowed on trails.
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Wyoming · Nebraska · Kansas · Oklahoma · New Mexico · Arizona · Utah