The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, National Wildlife refuge is a great way to see local wildlife without ever having to leave the city. Created to protect the Bald eagle, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is now home to over 330 species of wildlife including bison, deer, coyotes, frogs, eagles, prairie dogs and more!
With 15,000 acres of natural space, including 10 miles of trails and an 11 mile wildlife drive. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal is one of the biggest urban wildlife refuges in the United States. Don’t miss it when you visit Denver! The site is free to visit and guaranteed to please nature lovers.
During my last visit, I took my mom who was visiting from Canada. We actually saw more wildlife at the National Animal Refuge than we normally do when we visit the national parks. We saw a lot of deer, prairie dogs, tadpoles, frogs, turtles, dragonflies, butterflies, buffalo and even a great bald eagle!
Personally, my favorite part was seeing the Fawn bouncing around. Check out my video below.
How The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Was Created
The land here has a lot of interesting history. It started off as a hunting ground for local Indians. When settlers arrived, they turned the area into farmland. The land was used to grow crops and herd cattle until the attack on Pearl Harbor. After which the U.S Army transformed the area into a chemical weapons facility and named it the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. When the war ended, the facilities were leased out to Shell Chemical co, so that they could produce agricultural chemicals. Later on, it was used to create cold war weapons. This would probably still be going on today if a roost of bald eagles wasn’t discovered in the 1980s. Once the Bald eagles were discovered the army transferred the site to the U.S Fish and Wildlife service and the National Animal Refuge was created.
Fun Fact
Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct in the late 1980s but a small population was discovered in Wyoming. They were captured and put into a captive breeding program. Thanks to this program over 4,500 ferrets have been produced from this program and released into the wild in over 25 different locations in the plains. Unlike domestic ferrets, black-footed ferrets are the only ferrets native to North America. Since they eat prairie dogs, they only live in areas where prairie dogs are abundant.
Hours
Open year round from sunrise to sunset.
Admission: Free
Keep in mind that if you are visiting during the winter months, roads may be icy or covered with snow. To protect the wildlife, the roads are never plowed here.
Only service dogs are permitted here. All other dogs are not permitted. Please be respectful and leave your pets at home.
The visitors center is open from Wednesday – Sunday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Travel Secret
In order to see the most wildlife, visit right after sunrise or just before sunset.
Bison Warning
Bison are extremely dangerous animals and should always be observed from a distance. Never approach a bison. Always stay 50-100 feet away. So that if it decides to charge, you have time to get back into your vehicle. Always remain inside your vehicle when you are going through the bison pasture.
Directions
Rocky Mountain Arsenal
National Wildlife Refuge
6550 Gateway Rd
Commerce City, CO 80022
From I-70 exit at Quebec Street and head north. Turn right at Prairie Parkway. Turn left at Gateway Road. Follow Gateway rd to your destination. Please park only in the parking areas.
Accommodations
The closest accommodations are in Denver. My link will search through all the online sites to find you the best price available. By purchasing your trip through my link, this site will earn a small commission on your purchase. Rest assured that it will not cost you anything extra! In fact the only difference is that this site will earn a commission instead of another booking site. Thank your sponsorship!
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