[3] Florence Martin, an Australian-American philanthropist, made two donations of her ranch's 1,000 acres (400 ha) to establish Daniels Park.

The clear views afforded by the prominences on Riley Hill ridge and Wildcat Point led the area that would become Daniels Park to become popular as a stop for travelers in the 19th century.

In 1868, noted frontiersman Kit Carson supposedly made his last campfire on Wildcat Point while traveling from Denver over Riley Hill before dying at Fort Lyon.

[7] Florence Martin, an Australian-American philanthropist, made two donations of her ranch's land totaling around 1,000 acres (400 ha) that became Daniels Park.

Martin's house burned in 1937, spurring her to donate 962 acres of the ranch to Denver Mountain Parks system.

This bison herd had been sourced from Yellowstone National Park as part of earlier efforts to preserve the endangered species.

[5] Both the Genesee and Daniels Park herds have become sources of bison for Native Americans, including to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma.

[11] Richard Tall Bull, a Cheyenne, pressed Denver to procure a space where the city's Native American community could have exclusive access to permit ceremonies and celebrations.

He chose a 70-acre area of northern Daniels Park, which Denver set aside for exclusive Native American use in 1977; this grant was extended for 25 years in 1997.

[5] From the late 1990s onward, Denver and Douglas County coordinated on improving the park's accessibility due to the recent nearby residential developments.

[6] Earlier in the year, a crime wave was reported in the park, including substantial amounts of graffiti, litter, open campfires.