· Red Rocks

Welchester Tree Grant Park

The smallest park in the Jefferson County Open Space system, Welchester is home to a historic grove of trees dating back to 1878. Typically, a tiny urban park in the middle of Denver wouldn’t attract much attention among birders, but Welchester Tree Grant Park is different. A plethora of beautifully dense trees, combined with a migrant trap effect mostly likely due to its location, make this one of the better places in the city to hope for uncommon migrants. The list of rare warblers that have shown up here is impressively long, but even without a vagrant, migration here can be good. Look for Townsend’s Warbler and Cassin’s Vireo during the fall months, and Plumbeous Vireo, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, and MacGillivray’s Warbler both spring and fall. The summers and winters tend to be much quieter.

County: Jefferson

Directions: From I-70: take exit 262/Colfax Ave. and go east to Indiana St. (the first stop light). Go south on Indiana for 0.3 miles to 7th Ave. Go east on 7th Ave.; it will curve to the north and then back to the east before changing to 8th Ave. Continue on 8th Ave. to the park, located on the north. Parking is along the north side of the street on the shoulder.

Dates of Access: Open all year
Hours: Daylight hours
Ownership: Municipal
Admission: Free

Restrictions: Obey local rules and regulations

Parking: Paved parking areas
Lodging: Hotels in Golden and Wheat Ridge

Handicapped: Yes
Handicapped Access: Some trails are ADA accessible

Latitude: 39.729164
Longitude: -105.144485

» Visit the website for Welchester Tree Grant Park