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| Jared with Suntastic Yellow Sunflowers at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal trailhead |
Last fall I spent a weekend in Denver, Colorado to fulfill a much needed decompression period in nature. Surrounding the city are plentiful hiking spots to choose from, and just by being in the heart of the city, you can tell that the city promotes an active lifestyle as joggers and cyclists filled the neighborhood. It was a very brief trip, and the destinations were impromptu, but I figured it was an experience worth sharing.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
"Located just northeast of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,000-acre expanse of prairie, wetland and woodland habitat." - fws.gov
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| Painted Lady butterflies love to swarm the Rubber Rabbitbrushes |
The visitor center gives you an idea of just how much history is packed in this location. Bison and Plains Indians inhabited the lands for many years before the US Army transformed it into a chemical weapons facility for WWII. After the war was over, the Federal government had an extensive environmental clean up, expanding the refuge and today being home to numerous plants and animals.
I wanted to start off with a simple yet scenic route not to far from the city, and the Wildlife Refuge turned out to the a very beautiful and lively spot that was easy to access.
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| This hungry little guy crossed out path just to get the greens on the other side |
We arrived a few hours before sunset and began our walk at the trailhead, surrounded by expanding amounts of vivid Suntastic Yellow Sunflowers and Rubber Rabbitbrushes. The plants attracted many types of insects such as bees, fuzzy caterpillars, and collective groups of orange Painted Lady butterflies.
Further along the path I got a better view of the plains which were scattered with dirt mounds and holes. These burrows are cozy homes for furry creatures such as prairie dogs and ferrets. I managed to see a few on my walk but they were pretty shy.
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| Black-Footed Ferret investigating us from The Ferret House |
Deeper into the trail, I started to see a wider variety of animals. Rabbits and deer wandered around freely and seemed accustomed to human presence. In the distance were fenced off areas to protect the large Bison, reintroduced into the Refuge 10 years ago.
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| Cattails make a tall border around the lake |
Soon the plants grew taller and the honking of the geese because more audible. A few blue lakes became visible in the clearing, turning gold as the sun started to set.
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| A deer and its young grazing by the lake |
Mount Falcon - Turkey Trot Trail
There were plenty of accessible day hikes to choose from, it was challenging to settle on just one. Mount Falcon is located west of Denver, only half an hour away from our Airbnb. Noted as a 3 mile loop, I figured it would be a fairly moderate trail.
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| Trailhead for the Turkey Trot Trail |
The trailhead already began at a higher elevation. To the right, I could see a clear view of Red Rock Amphitheatre, which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful concert venues in the country. The trail had a tolerably steep incline, which made the uphill trek more exhausting that I had anticipated. Because of this, it was popular spot for Mountain Bikers, appearing to be a fun yet challenging workout.
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| Weeds along the trail path |
Approaching the peak of the trail, we could see the view of the entire city, surrounded by mountains scattered with lush green trees and sculpted red geology. It was a rewarding sight to see while resting my sore calves.
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| View of Denver from the trail's peak |
Denver is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone who loves the outdoors and I can’t wait to go back and explore some more. I can’t wait to make a Denver Part 2 post filled with more photography and adventure!