Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch & Guest Cabins
Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch & Guest Cabins
Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch & Guest Cabins
5
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Monday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Tuesday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Wednesday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Thursday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Friday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Saturday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Sunday
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
About
Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch & Guest Cottage ~ Buffalo Tours. A working Buffalo & Guest Ranch. We offer educational buffalo tours daily May thru September. The owner, Leo Downey, does one tour every morning May 15th thru September, starting at 10:15 a.m. (Alberta Time )This includes the native fire making demonstration. We also offer year round accommodations in our fully furnished guest cottage and our peaceful cabin by the creek,, Wagon in the Woods and Buffalero's Bunkhouse in the Barn. Make yourself at home, see buffalo in their natural social order, learn about them first hand, wander the ranch and our pristine river frontage on the beautiful Blaeberry River.
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
194 reviews
Excellent
179
Very good
12
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Susan A
8 contributions
Sept 2024 • Friends
We were totally skeptical after stopping at the visitor center in Golden. They told us cash only, CD only and they weren’t sure if the were buffalo or beefalo. Arrival was different but once we arrived at the cabin where Leo started to educate with humor his travels arriving at the herd of buffalo he now manages. Such a wonderful surprise. The 90 minutes flew by and it was so worth the $$’s! Highly recommend.
Written September 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy
Sydney, Australia1 contribution
May 2023 • Couples
Leo is a master story teller and brings to life his life experiences. His passion and explanation of the psyche of bison was encaptulating. And at the end he gave us fire! A remarkable man with a remarkable story. Not to be missed.
Written May 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
N367IDmarks
12 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
This was just simple, educational, and fun. From the stories told and learning about the Buffalo to getting to walk out and see the Buffalo pretty up close (but not too up close!) the whole hour and a half were just a memorable experience. Leo is a great storyteller and the simplicity of the whole thing was just perfect
Written July 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vivent les vacances!
Paris, France25 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We did the 1 0h15 tour with Leo, who’s had such an interesting life story! After explaining various things about buffalos, always spiced with real-life anecdotes, he showed us the herd and we met Chester Junior. Back at the cabin Leo demonstrated how to light a fire for scratch. We really enjoyed this tour, it was fascinating. And then we went on checking his YouTube channel because Leo is also a very good singer !
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SM12342016
2 contributions
Aug 2021
Not sure how this page can be updated (to remove the temporarily closed note), but this ranch is open, offering tours at 10.15am every day. We just visited last week and it was an informative and enjoyable 1.5 hours, learning about buffalo behavior and getting to see them up close. It's quite incredible how you can stand at the other side of a thin (flimsy) wire fence and the herd appear relatively unbothered. Much enjoyed by both adults and children in the group and was a highlight of our time in Golden. Highly recommend. Definitely worth also going prepared with bug spray!
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ndh21
Nova Scotia, Canada2 contributions
Aug 2022
We were a family group ages 6 - 80. On our last night together we voted on our two favourite activities. Rafting was no. 1, and our visit to the Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch number 2.
Leo’s respect for; knowledge of and love for the Buffalo came through as he talked. The talk was followed by a visit to the pasture where we saw his herd of Buffalo.
A visit should be on your must do list while in the Golden area.
Leo’s respect for; knowledge of and love for the Buffalo came through as he talked. The talk was followed by a visit to the pasture where we saw his herd of Buffalo.
A visit should be on your must do list while in the Golden area.
Written August 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scarlett G
Exmouth, UK13 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Honestly can not explain the beauty and serenity of this place enough! Stayed in the buffalo cabin on sight for a couple days and was just perfect for anyone who loves nature and loves being away from town/city life! Is brilliant for writers, great inspiration to just sit in solitude.
Written October 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin R
Maple Ridge, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Family
Best place to have a summer getaway. My siblings and I have never a vacation before with just us and no spouse or kids. We had an awesome time at the Buffalo Ranch. The setting was perfect big open field, awesome 360 view of the mountains and an amazing views of the stars at night. Leo is a great host with his family and workers are friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and the surroundings. The Guest House was perfect for sleeping and mingling and a great outside open space to enjoy nature. Highly recommended. Thank you Leo and the family
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin G
Tecumseh, Canada323 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
With our expectations low, as we did not know what to expect, we were very glad that we decided to visit the Buffalo Ranch. It was a very enjoyable, peaceful experience. We were able to learn about these incredible creatures and get an up close view of them as well. Leo was a very interesting and pleasant person to meet. Everyone in our family loved our visit to the ranch.
Written July 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tigerman777
935 contributions
Sept 2017 • Solo
I absolutely LOOOVE this place!!!! Leo is one of the nicest people I've ever met 😀. That's saying a lot, considering I've visited all over Europe, Latin America and some countries in Asia and Africa. You MUST take in his gorgeous property, with amazing views of the mountains, while his beautiful herd of buffalo are roaming the pastures. Sometimes the herd will come right up to the viewing platform. There are times you can see the magnificent Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), which I saw a little of one night. The mountains somewhat inhibit the view though. You really will enjoy Leo's compelling story during the buffalo tour. He will tell you about his beloved Chester senior and his son, Chester junior. It is really interesting how he handles his herd of these astoundingly majestic animals😀. I wouldn't walk among them, like Leo does, that's for sure. Ive been around bison before, but never realized how dangerous they are, especially the bull (weighs up to 2,000 pounds/907kg), which fights his whole life to dominate the herd. He has a really nice presentation at his home, while this crazy squirrel might make a showing😀. He explains a lot about why, how and when he got the herd of buffalo started and some serious challenges that arose. He will show you how to start a fire from things you will find in the forest or his pastures for that matter. He gets the kids involved as well, which means the tour is for people of all ages. You will have a chance to buy a cd of his beautiful music as well. I didn't expect to come to a buffalo ranch and find out the owner is a great musician too😁. I think he has a book you can buy as well?
You might be fortunate enough to be able to stay in one of his dwellings on his property😀. They all are really nice from what I could see. I stayed for three nights in the covered wagon, which is right next to a creek that can somewhat lull you to sleep at night. I thought it was way too cool to be woke up by the grunts of the bison in the morning. You want to know next to nature👍. My little wagon was very clean, with basic amenities like a bed with a mosquito net over it. I did not expect that in beautiful Canada😀. You have your own little outhouse as well as propane heat (and propane camp stove for cooking) to use if you get cold. I didn't use that though, I'm from a cold weather state in the US.
A couple of things to show the demeanor of Leo: 1) he had a friend come up form California to help him make a recording of his new music and he invited people into his studio to listen while recording. I happened to be outside taking photos of the Aurora Borealis when he was playing and was/am deeply impressed with his new music, which is quite calming. The next day I let him know how much I enjoyed it when shooting photos and he let me know he wanted to invite me (I bought a cd the day before and played it when visiting Yoho National Park and loooved it!!!), but he couldn't contact me. I mentioned to him I would have really enjoyed singing with him just for fun a little bit (of course not being recorded, though) and I said how about tonight? He tried to do it, but it didn't work. His friend came in quite late. 2)Leo's friend said one of the most offensive things I've ever heard ( I'm not one to get easily offended either) and Leo just looked down and shook his head. (I was so annoyed I almost said something, but I'm not sure it was my place). Leo's a very humble, gracious and inviting person to be around. I would be more than willing to spend time there again in the future. The buffalo tour is included in your overnight stay at one of his rentals, but I believe costs $15.00 for a tour otherwise.
I have to give a shout out to Elizabeth, one of Leo's workers, too. She is super nice and let me know the best areas to see the Aurora Borealis in the area. She even loaned me a map book to try to get there. Unfortunately, it was my last night there, the kp forecast for the lights was low and I was planning on doing a large hike on the best trail in the area (some say the best in all the Canadian Rockies), the Iceline trail in Yoho National Park super early in the morning. Wish I would have known the information earlier, maybe the first night.
In conclusion, the buffalo tour is more than worth the price of admission and being around such nice people makes it worth twice the admission. For those who've never seen bison before, an icon of the American/Canadian plains/west, it's worth three times the admission. Go, visit, enjoy and cherish the memories😀. I know I will!!!
Thanks for reading. If you feel this review was helpful, it would be appreciated if you would tap the 👍 below. Thank you.
You might be fortunate enough to be able to stay in one of his dwellings on his property😀. They all are really nice from what I could see. I stayed for three nights in the covered wagon, which is right next to a creek that can somewhat lull you to sleep at night. I thought it was way too cool to be woke up by the grunts of the bison in the morning. You want to know next to nature👍. My little wagon was very clean, with basic amenities like a bed with a mosquito net over it. I did not expect that in beautiful Canada😀. You have your own little outhouse as well as propane heat (and propane camp stove for cooking) to use if you get cold. I didn't use that though, I'm from a cold weather state in the US.
A couple of things to show the demeanor of Leo: 1) he had a friend come up form California to help him make a recording of his new music and he invited people into his studio to listen while recording. I happened to be outside taking photos of the Aurora Borealis when he was playing and was/am deeply impressed with his new music, which is quite calming. The next day I let him know how much I enjoyed it when shooting photos and he let me know he wanted to invite me (I bought a cd the day before and played it when visiting Yoho National Park and loooved it!!!), but he couldn't contact me. I mentioned to him I would have really enjoyed singing with him just for fun a little bit (of course not being recorded, though) and I said how about tonight? He tried to do it, but it didn't work. His friend came in quite late. 2)Leo's friend said one of the most offensive things I've ever heard ( I'm not one to get easily offended either) and Leo just looked down and shook his head. (I was so annoyed I almost said something, but I'm not sure it was my place). Leo's a very humble, gracious and inviting person to be around. I would be more than willing to spend time there again in the future. The buffalo tour is included in your overnight stay at one of his rentals, but I believe costs $15.00 for a tour otherwise.
I have to give a shout out to Elizabeth, one of Leo's workers, too. She is super nice and let me know the best areas to see the Aurora Borealis in the area. She even loaned me a map book to try to get there. Unfortunately, it was my last night there, the kp forecast for the lights was low and I was planning on doing a large hike on the best trail in the area (some say the best in all the Canadian Rockies), the Iceline trail in Yoho National Park super early in the morning. Wish I would have known the information earlier, maybe the first night.
In conclusion, the buffalo tour is more than worth the price of admission and being around such nice people makes it worth twice the admission. For those who've never seen bison before, an icon of the American/Canadian plains/west, it's worth three times the admission. Go, visit, enjoy and cherish the memories😀. I know I will!!!
Thanks for reading. If you feel this review was helpful, it would be appreciated if you would tap the 👍 below. Thank you.
Written September 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey they, looking at coming through golden and doing your tour with my family from UK, can you give me the cost per adult and do we have to make appointment? Many thanks
Written July 29, 2018
$15 per person. No appointment necessary. They prefer morning tour before lunch. It is an actual working farm. Tour lasts an hour, unless your group is actively engaged in learning.
Written July 30, 2018
How much is the buffalo tour please? The morning one. Many thanks.
Written June 23, 2018
Hi
My husband and I may want to come Wednesday day after tomorrow- are you open? What is a good time? What's the cost?
Thanks
Elizabeth
Written August 9, 2016
Hi Elizabeth, I think I remember you guys having tour, but I'm just seeing your inquiry here. I'm sorry I missed it!
Written September 29, 2016
We had been hoping to stay here for a couple of days in July. Having some questions, we left a phone message, but have had no response.
Then we read on a site called rocky mountain buffalo ranch (without spaces) that the Guest House and buffalo herd have been sold and the rest of the property is for sale.
Trying to get further information via e-mail. If anyone out there knows more, please share. Thanks.
Written June 23, 2016
Hi There, I'm sorry about the confusion. Sadly it is due to a long divorce that should be resolved very soon. I'm still here with the buffalo giving tours. Sometimes my phone doesn't work that well, but e-mail through here or my website always gets to me and I check it often. Thanks for asking and I hope you'll come for a tour. 10-5 every day but mornings are best. Sometimes I have to go to town so it's good to let me know a day or two ahead if you can, but I'm almost always here. Aloha!
Written July 4, 2016
Hello, I'm visiting the area in May next year. What does your tour include? Also do we have to book in advance or can we just turn up between opening hours?
Written October 23, 2015
Please refer to Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch for the answer. I only visited there. I can tell you that you will thoroughly enjoy this area and its attractions on your visit to Canada.
Written October 25, 2015
Hi There, yes I'm open fro 10 to 4 pm , mornings are the best time as sometimes the buffalo get hot and go lie down in the woods later. It's $15 for adults and takes about 50 minutes. I will be closed to tomorrow afternoon though. Thanks! :)
Written August 19, 2015
Are you still open to visitors? I see the ranch is up for sale?
Written August 2, 2015
Hello! Yes I am open still open and giving educational buffalo tours daily. The sale sign is due to divorce, and hoping and working to save the buffalo and the ranch and have everybody happy in the end. Thanks for asking and you are warmly welcome to visit.
Written August 19, 2015
Are we able to join the buffalo tour without staying in one of your cabins? And if so, how much do you charge for the tour, as well as the time of the tour?
Written July 17, 2015
Sorry this is so late, you don't have to stay, you are welcome for a tour 7 days a week 10 - 4 thru September, but now and then I have to go to town, so it's not a bad idea to call ahead. 250 344 4779, Im here 90% of the time :) ! Aloha, Leo
Written August 19, 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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