White Ranch Park
One of the larger open space parks in the area, White Ranch has two different entrances that provide access to different montane habitats. The eastern entrance has abundant foothill scrub and some riparian woodland; look for Bushtit, Western Scrub-Jay, Green-tailed Towhee, and others in the scrub; in the riparian habitats, you can find Yellow-breasted Chat, Cordilleran Flycatcher, and Lazuli Bunting. The western entrance provides an area of ponderosa woodland and montane meadows; in this section search for Williamson’s Sapsucker, Pygmy Nuthatch, both Western and Mountain Bluebirds, and the occasional Dusky Grouse. The whole area is popular with mountain bikers and hikers, and if either of these activities is your cup of tea, White Ranch is a good place to combine them with some birding.
County: Jefferson
Directions: Eastern Parking Lot (lower): From I-70: transition to westbound CO 58/Golden Highway. CO 58 will end at CO 93; head north on 93 about 1.5 miles to West 56th Ave. Go west and follow 56th about a mile until it ends at Pine Ridge Rd. Go north into the parking lot. Western Parking Lot (upper): from CO 58/Golden Highway and CO 93, go north for about one mile to Golden Gate Canyon Rd. and head west. In about 4 miles, go north onto Crawford Gulch Rd. The park is on the east side, a few miles up the road.
Dates of Access: Open all year
Hours: Daylight hours
Ownership: Municipal
Admission: Free
Restrictions: Sourdough Springs Campground is closed during winter season. Obey local rules and regulations.
Parking: Gravel parking area
Lodging: Primitive camping; hotels in Golden and Arvada
Handicapped Access: Limited
Latitude: 39.798950
Longitude: -105.248641
Amenities
| Restrooms | Yes |
| Drinking Fountain | No |
| Gravel Trails | Yes |
| Paved Trails | No |
| Platform/Blind | No |
| Boardwalk | No |
| Concession | No |
| Visitor Center | No |
| Gift Shop | No |
| Primitive | Yes |
| Camping | Yes |
| Picnic | Yes |
| Hunting | No |
| Fishing | No |