Jarre Canyon Road and Platte River Road

Aliases: Platte River Road, South Platte (town)

Jarre Canyon Road (CO 67) passes through patches of scrub oak and horse pastures before climbing into the foothills ponderosa pine habitat. A few pull-offs, mostly on the right (north), provide possible places to explore for ponderosa birds year-round, such as Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy and Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Red Crossbill; in summer, look for Western Wood-Pewee, Plumbeous Vireo, House Wren, Western Bluebird, and Western Tanager. At Sprucewood (right), the West Pine Creek Road plunges directly down to the South Platte. Otherwise, continue on CO 67 to the river, where a few stream-tied species occur. In addition to birding, there are plenty of other recreational activities here ( such as fly fishing, tubing, swimming, and picnicking), making this a good place to spend the day with family and friends.

County: Douglas

Directions: From US 85 in the town of Sedalia: go south on CO 67/Jarre Canyon Rd. The best habitat begins after about 10 miles; Sprucewood is 13 miles from Sedalia and the North Platte River is 10 miles from Sprucewood.

Dates of Access: Open all year
Hours: Daylight hours
Ownership: USFS/Private
Admission: Free

Restrictions: Respect private property where found along the river; obey USFS rules and regulations.

Parking: Varied
Lodging: Hotels in Sedalia, primitive camping at USFS campgrounds

Handicapped Access: Some car birding

Latitude: 39.349637
Longitude: -105.120899