Encompassing snow-covered peaks, dusty grasslands, and unrestrained wildlife, Colorado’s Birding Trails cross the entire diverse state. They take you from one corner of Colorado to the other through a maze of designated driving routes, hiking trails, and walking paths.
The trails include both public and private land as well as large, open outdoor spaces. A total of 54 trails with nearly 800 viewing sites showcase over 400 native birds and other wildlife, with easily accessible entry and exit points along each route.
Watch bighorn sheep climb the steep cliffs of the Rockies. Listen as great blue herons call to one another from the muddy shores of wetlands. And snap a picture as majestic bald eagles soar right over your head.
How It All Started
A project of this massive undertaking is never the result of a single person or organization. The Birding Trail began as a joint venture between five of Colorado’s most prolific outdoor societies: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Audubon, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Colorado Field Ornithologists, and Playa Lakes Joint Venture.
Soon the Colorado Parks and Wildlife organization entered into the partnership, and the Great Outdoors Colorado lottery contributed to the funding. The result was a 4-phase plan to build up the Birding Trail and take it across the entire state of Colorado. All phases have been completed, and the Birding Trail is one of Colorado’s most popular destinations for both tourists and locals.
The Trails
The Birding Trail is divided into three easily-navigable sections: Western Colorado, the Rocky Mountains, and the Eastern Plains.
Western Colorado
The Western section includes 7 trails that take you from the seclusion of Browns Park in the northernmost corner of Colorado south to La Plata, where spiky bushes hide equally spiky lizards along the base of the Mesa Verde.
- Browns Park
- Canyon of the Ancients
- Dinosaur
- Fruitgrowers
- Grand Valley
- La Plata
- Uncompahgre
Rocky Mountains
Clustered in the Rocky Mountains of Central Colorado, 27 trails wind from the postcard-perfect pictures of Longs Peak near Boulder to the Piedra just outside Navajo Nation, where year-round snowfields melt into a lazy river that travels past ponderosa pines.
- Black Canyon
- Black Swift
- Blanca
- Eagle
- Elkhead
- Flat Tops
- Grand Lake
- Grand Mesa
- Greenhorn
- Gunnison Sage-Grouse
- Headwaters
- Lizard Head
- Longs Peak
- North Park
- Peak to Peak
- Piedra
- Pikes Peak
- Rabbit Ears
- Roaring Fork
- Sandhill Crane
- Silver Thread
- South Park
- Spanish Peaks
- Summit
- Whitewater
- Wolf Creek
- Yampa
Eastern Plains
The Eastern Plains include 20 trails of mixed landscapes that will leave you breathless. In Sandsage you’ll find the bizarre mixture of desert and prairie which gives Sandsage its name. Head south of the Arkansas River to Prairie Canyons where the sweet scents of juniper-filled canyons compete with the harsh twists and turns of a rimrock maze.
- Cache la Poudre
- Castlewood
- Comanche
- Flatirons
- Greater Prairie-Chicken
- Kingbird
- Mile High
- Pawnee
- Playa
- Plover
- Prairie Canyons
- Prairie Oases
- Pronghorn
- Red Rocks
- Sandsage
- Snow Goose
- St. Vrain
- Two Buttes
- Urban Refuges
- Waterfowl
Special Events
The Birding Trail provides year-round enjoyment, with activities and festivals taking place during every season. These are just a few of the highlights.
- High Plains Snow Goose Festival – February. Check out these snow geese as they stop off in Colorado on their way back to the Canadian Arctic.
- Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch – Mid-March to Mid-May. Western Colorado’s Lakewood/Morrison hosts this spring event where hawks, eagles, and vultures are impossible to miss.
- Grand Mesa Day – July. Family entertainment includes a scavenger hunt, puppet show, and plenty of moose viewing.
- Bighorn Sheep Fest – November. Hit the Rockies and keep an eye out for bighorn sheep as you tour Georgetown, where one of Colorado’s oldest herds still resides.
The Birding Trail offers something for everyone. Whatever you’re looking for, a simple nature hike or an opportunity to go birding, you’ll find it on Colorado’s Birding Trail. Plan your route ahead of time and make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Details
Address: Varies across Colorado
Season: Year-round
Trails: 54
Website: coloradobirdingtrail.com
