Eastern Plains

St. Vrain Trail

A Charismatic Land

The towns of Longmont and Lyons, along the St. Vrain River north of Boulder, support an amazingly high density of places to watch birds and other wildlife. The foothills here are lower and less dramatic than those abutting Boulder, and their sparser, shrubbier vegetation generally makes it easier to find birds of open, dry country such as Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay and Common Poorwill. The lakes and ponds in and around the towns are excellent places to see waterfowl, Western and Clark’s Grebes, and gulls, especially in spring and fall. This is a wonderful area in which to get better acquainted with the arresting landscapes of the American west.