FALL RUT IS AROUND THE CORNER. FIND THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH WILDLIFE
Colorado is filled with picture-ready wildlife, but where do you find them? We’ll show you the best places around the state to catch a glimpse of the “locals.” With these must-visit locations, you’re almost guaranteed to spot Colorado wildlife.
Critter Watch: Top Places to See Colorado’s Wildlife
People from around the globe come to Colorado to view its wide array of wildlife as the state is home to more than 960 species of animals. The following areas highlight some of the top viewing spots and include a list of the wildlife you can see.
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (South Central Region)
What to expect: A complex of dramatic river bends, pools, wet meadows and cottonwood/willow watery habitats stretch within the flood plain of the Rio Grande River. This valley area is an ideal home for seemingly countless varieties of birds. The serrated edges of the Sange de Cristos also provide innumerable vistas on the eastern horizon.
What you’ll see: Watch for an abundance of waterfowl and wading birds, golden eagles, great horned and short-eared owls and other raptors. From March through October, sandhill cranes are abundant and many roost on the refuge. For those that enjoy a short hike, a two-mile trail follows the Rio Grand River and offers prime viewing spots.
This area also provides excellent bird watching for various warblers, woodpeckers, flycatchers and other nesting and migratory birds, including such unusual migrants as indigo buntings and blue grosbeaks. A self-guided car tour also provides views of wetland species. The refuge headquarters is open Monday through Friday and has interpretive exhibits and checklists.
Nearest town: Alamosa
More information: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 719-589-4021
Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge (Northwest Region)
What to expect: Far from the bustle of city streets, the rush of the freeway and the star-competing light of city nights sits the remote Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge. Here, you'll encounter a series of ponds and wet meadows along the Green River—perfect habitats for waterfowl and migratory songbirds. The area also features steep rocky slopes and sedimentary benches along the river. Check in at the visitor center for specific viewing opportunities.
What you’ll see: Browns Park is a prime area for viewing Canada geese, mallards, redheads, canvasbacks, green-winged and cinnamon teal, ruddy ducks and common mergansers. Other birds include coots, great blue herons, three grebe species, white-faced ibis, red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds, the common snipe, Wilson’s phalaropes, a variety of sandpipers, kingfishers, golden and bald eagles, shrikes, hummingbirds, swallows and other songbirds. As long a list as this is—it only scratches the surface. The entire bird checklist of the area includes 220 species. And if you prefer fur to feathers, mule deer, moose, coyotes, beavers, muskrats and pronghorn antelope can also been seen throughout the area. There are signs along Highway 318 marking the east and west ends of this refuge.
Nearest town: Maybell
More information: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 970-365-3613
Barr Lake State Park (Denver Area)
What to expect: In the northeast reaches of Denver sits an area that has been drawing birds for decades. There’s a great history of bird watching at Barr Lake State Park; wildlife viewing records from the area date back more than 100 years, and the number of recorded species exceeds 300. Combining three habitats—open water, shoreline woodlands and grassland—the park encompasses homes for a variety of different species. Interpretive programs and displays are offered at the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, and found along the lakeshore are wooden boardwalks and a viewing platform.
What you’ll see: The lake attracts an array of waterfowl and water birds, including geese, white pelicans, grebes, coots and numerous species of duck. The shoreline’s riparian area offers nesting for owls, hawks, songbirds and wading birds. Great blue herons, black-crowned night-herons and double-crested cormorants populate a rookery here, but the most famous residents are the pair of nesting bald eagles. Mule deer also roam the park. Watch for a variety of small mammals, including fox squirrels, muskrats, pocket gophers and raccoons.
Nearest town: Brighton
More information: Colorado State Parks, 303-659-6005
Bonny Lake State Park/South Republican State Wildlife Area (Northeast Region)
What to expect: In the heart of the great expanse of the plains sits a human-made body of water that attracts some of nature's most intriguing animals. This area is composed of a large complex of habitats, including grassland, a reservoir, agricultural land and cottonwood/willow lowland riparian environments.
What you’ll see: This area provides a habitat for species not often found in Colorado. Near the Wagonwheel Campground, songbirds in woodlands can be heard providing melodies through the trees. At the water’s edge, white pelicans and wading birds fish for their next meal. Also watch for turkey vultures, beaver and muskrat on the west end of the area. During the winter months, bald eagles and other waterfowl can be seen around the lake. Migrant snow geese are visible from mid-October to mid-November. Sandhill cranes are also common visitors in October at the southwest corner of the lake. In addition to the cranes, look for loons (rare in Colorado), egrets, herons, white-faced ibis, black terns, tundra woodpeckers, eastern bluebirds, orchard orioles and eastern screech owls. White-tailed and mule deer can also be seen year-round in the surrounding corn and hay fields. An extensive bird checklist of 287 species in the area is available through the Colorado Division of Wildlife or Colorado State Parks.
Nearest town: Idalia
More information: Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado State Parks, 970-354-7306
Durango Fish Hatchery (Southwest Region)
What to expect: This state fish hatchery offers an educational center with mounted displays and videos as well as interpretive exhibits. Here, you may also feed the fish at the show pond and view the interpretive displays that are found along a quarter-mile nature trail at the edge of the hatchery.
What you’ll see: Eggs from rainbow, brook, brown and cutthroat trout are hatched and raised here. Once the fish come of age, they are released into the wild to stock Colorado’s lakes and streams. Pools here contain “fingerlings” (fish two- to four-inches long) and “catchables” (fish eight- to 12-inches long).
Nearest town: Durango
More information: Colorado Division of Wildlife, 970-375-6766
Estes Valley (Front Range)
What to expect: The Estes Valley, containing the town of Estes Park, is a mix of environments, ranging from the town of Estes Park to the waters of the Big Thompson River. Dramatic mountain peaks, including 14,255-foot-high Longs Peak, ring this diverse valley. A four-mile paved walking trail circles Lake Estes and a four-and-a-half-acre bird sanctuary lies on the west side of the lake. During the fall rut season, the area sees an increase in elk activity.
What you’ll see: In the fall, during the rut, the shrill bugle of male elk can be heard for miles. The calls are intended to beckon does and thwart would-be rivals during this amorous time. Check open grassy areas for elk, which can be seen almost everywhere around the area—even in residential yards and along streets. Watch for bighorn sheep along Fall River Road between Estes Park and the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Other mammals to watch for include mule deer, coyotes, ground squirrels, chipmunks, voles, muskrats and beavers. Lake Estes offers spectacular waterfowl viewing, particularly in fall and winter. Species include mallards, cinnamon and blue-winged teal, coots, Canada geese and the occasional white pelican. Migratory birds, including American redstarts, western tanagers, broad-tailed hummingbirds and many other varieties also make their way to the area. Look to telephone polls for prairie falcons and red-tailed hawks.
Nearest town: Estes Park
More information: Estes Park Convention and Visitors Bureau, 970-577-9900
Lake Pueblo State Park and State Wildlife Area (Southeast Region)
What to expect: The Pueblo Reservoir, site of both Lake Pueblo State Park and Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area, lies amid shortgrass prairie with a pinon-juniper habitat on the bluffs. Below the reservoir’s dam—along the Arkansas River—is a cottonwood-riparian environment. A biking and walking path begins at the Greenway and Nature Center of Pueblo and follows the Arkansas River, then heads along Fountain Creek. The trail then connects to a hike at Lake Pueblo State Park.
The park’s nature center has interpretive displays, an aquatic discovery center with interactive exhibits, outdoor displays, interpretive trails and a naturalist on duty. The Raptor Center houses a birds of prey show, held every Tues.–Sun. from 11am–4pm; the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset.
What you’ll see: The Nature Center’s pier overlooks the river, offering the chance to see trout, bass and other fish. Also watch for great blue herons and kingfishers fishing for a meal. Listen for the twitter of the many songbirds along the river. Ospreys, large raptor birds, are visible in spring and fall at the reservoir, and bald eagles can be seen in the winter. There is one active osprey nest at the west end of the reservoir. Numerous ducks, as well as white pelicans, geese, cormorants and grebes, can also be seen. Viewing of bald eagles, waterfowl and other water birds is exceptional in the winter. Red-tailed and Swainson’s hawks are visible in open areas. And mammals including beavers, muskrats, fox squirrels and red foxes are year-round residents. Excellent winter bird watching is available at the Swallows Viewing Site bluffs on the north shore at the wildlife area. The site includes a viewing platform and interpretive signs explaining more about the area.
Nearest town: Pueblo
More information: Nature Center, 719-549-2414; Raptor Center, 719-549-2327; Lake Pueblo State Park, 719-561-9320 ext. 0
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