On this beautiful morning along the Colorado Front Range, my wife and I visited the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR in northeast Metro Denver. Once an Army base and munitions depot, it is now a 15,000 acre expanse of prairie, woodlands and lakes.
On our first visit in more than a decade, we hiked around marsh-lined Lake Mary and along a tree-lined portion of Lake Ladora. Though the refuge is renowned for its bison, bald eagles, black-footed ferrets and burrowing owls, our sightings today were limited to Canada geese, double-crested cormorants, American white pelicans, belted kingfishers and a host of common songbirds. Unfortunately, the 11-mile Wildlife Drive was closed today due to road work.
The Refuge is best reached from the intersection of Quebec Pkwy and 56th Avenue. Drive north on Quebec Pkwy, turn right (east) on Prairie Pkwy and then left on Gateway Rd. which enters the refuge near the Visitor Center. Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, except on major holidays. In addition to the Wildlife Drive, 20 miles of footpaths wind through southern portions of the refuge.
