Rocky Mountains
The Trails
Explore Wild Colorado!
The Colorado Birding Trail links outdoor recreation sites, both public and private, into a network through a designated driving route. There are 27 trails in the Rocky Mountains containing a variety of sites where you can view watchable wildlife. Some trails include hiking or walking paths where you can observe different wildlife and scenery. Start your adventure today and explore wild Colorado!
UPDATE: A valid hunting or fishing license is required for everyone 18 or older accessing any state wildlife area. Beginning May 1, 2021, a valid hunting or fishing license OR SWA pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area.
Please note: As of April 2021, We have a group of dedicated volunteers currently updating the sites listed on the Colorado Birding Trail. Some private lands or bird tours may no longer exist or be open to the public, so be sure to check on the site/event before heading out.
Trails in the Rocky Mountains
Black Canyon
Where the Gunnison River comes tumbling out of the mountains, it gurgles through deciduous bottomland forests that seem to have been transplanted straight from New England, complete with Least Flycatchers and the occasional Veery.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Black Swift
The Black Swift is legendarily difficult to observe, but in summer, here in the heart of Colorado\'s San Juan Mountains, a sighting is virtually guaranteed.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Blanca
Blanca Peak was known to the Navajo as the sacred peak of the East, one of the four holy mountains that bounded and guarded their nation.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Eagle
West of Vail Pass, the Colorado River and Interstate 70 come together to wind through the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where Bald Eagles spend the winter fishing in the fast-moving water.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Elkhead
Carved out of the extreme northwestern corner of Colorado, Moffat County is a sprawling quadrangle nearly the size of Connecticut with fewer than 15,000 human residents, most of them in the town of Craig.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Flat Tops
Even among native Coloradans, the Flat Tops are a well-kept secret. Flat though their tops may be, these impressive mountains are the centerpiece of the second-largest wilderness area in the state.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Grand Lake
Here at the start of the river that carved the Grand Canyon lies an easy-to-reach taste of Colorado's West Slope.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Grand Mesa
East of Grand Junction, the Grand Mesa is an astonishing place. Here, nearly 500 square miles of pristine forest have been lifted some 5,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, creating what some call the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Greenhorn
In the shadow of Greenhorn Mountain, the beacon peak that anchors the southern end of the Wet Mountain range, this trail highlights a part of Southeast Colorado that is off the beaten path, but not remote.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is a special bird. Formally described by science only in 2000, it evaded detection for decades because people looked at it without seeing it-they assumed all sage grouse were the same.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Headwaters
This trail follows the upper portions of the Arkansas from its origins above treeline down to pinyon-juniper covered hills and shallow canyons.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Lizard Head
Above the road between Rico and Telluride, in the remote southwest San Juans, there rises a spectacular spire of rock that reminded its namers of a reptile's head.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Longs Peak
To follow this trail is to see the mountains’ highlight reel, with birds to match. This is the Colorado on your postcards.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
North Park
North Park, virtually synonymous with Jackson County, is a high, flat, peak-ringed valley that teems with far more wildlife than people. Some of Colorado's finest and most extensive remaining sagebrush country can be found here, right beside some of Colorado's finest and most extensive wetlands.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Peak to Peak
The Front Range is a phalanx of snow-capped mountains that guards the center of Colorado against any approach from the east. This is Denver’s mountainous backyard, a must-visit area for anyone interested in Colorado nature.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Piedra
The Piedra River collects most of the water from Colorado's largest wilderness area, the Weminuche, running from permanent snowfields in the high mountains through subalpine meadows down into forests of gigantic ponderosa pine.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Pikes Peak
This trail is is quintessential Colorado, offering visitors a variety of wildlife watching opportunities all within a stones throw to Colorado Springs.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Rabbit Ears
The area south and east of Steamboat Springs is one of the lushest regions of Colorado, boasting relatively few people but high natural diversity, including huge numbers of deer, elk, and pronghorn along the backroads.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Roaring Fork
The Roaring Fork River crashes down out of the West Elk Mountains towards the Colorado River, carving out a beautiful mountain valley as it goes.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Sandhill Crane
The northern San Luis Valley is a land of natural spectacles. Some are aerial, like the talon-locking tumble of a pair of Golden Eagles in midair courtship, or the high-flying spirals of a flock of Black Swifts above a canyon cascade at dusk.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Silver Thread
Tracing a high and remote path through Colorado\'s least populated region, the Silver Thread Scenic Byway winds its beautiful way through montane forests and meadows from the low to the high, past mountain lakes that teem with waterfowl in migration.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
South Park
Only 1-2 hours from Denver, South Park is a flat area nearly the size of Rhode Island at an elevation of 10,000 feet, which harbors remnants of a rich prairie and wetland ecosystem.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Spanish Peaks
Following the Highway of Legends Scenic Byway for much of its length, and circumnavigating the stunning Spanish Peaks, this trail nearly runs the gamut of Colorado habitats.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Summit
For travelers driving west from Denver, Summit County offers the first taste of the West Slope. Famous for ski resorts like Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, and Copper Mountain, it's also home to well-preserved natural areas that offer good wildlife watching at any time of year.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Whitewater
Famous for its whitewater rafting, the Arkansas Canyon offers an amazing variety of wildlife viewing opportunities in a spectacular setting.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Wolf Creek
The summit of Wolf Creek Pass is one of the snowiest places in Colorado during the winter. During the summer, it's one of the most scenic.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location
Yampa
The Yampa is one of the few rivers in Colorado that remains almost entirely undammed and undiverted. Much as in past centuries, it supports a rich riparian ecosystem along most of its length.» Hit the Trail » View Map Location