This State Wildlife Area follows the Rio Grande for several miles through willows teeming with Yellow Warblers. At the north end of the property, you will find the best riparian habitat, with mature cottonwoods and more willows; look here for House Wren, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Green-tailed Towhee, Warbling Vireo, Song Sparrow and the like. American Dippers nest under the bridge. In the open fields you may see coyotes hunting ground squirrels, especially early and late in the day.
Silver Thread
Scenery in Many Senses
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. The stunning mountain skyline of this place has formed the scenic backdrop for much of Colorado’s most colorful Wild West history, which is still on display in the old mining towns of Lake City and Creede. The wildlife here make the scenery audible as well as visual: the choral music of Hermit and Swainson’s Thrushes backs up the improvisational riffs of Cassin’s Finch, while five species of woodpecker drum out the rhythm section’s beat. And the scenery doesn’t even sit still: here you’ll find the geological oddity called the Slumgullion Earthflow, a slow-motion rockslide the size of a mountain, which bottled a whole valley to form sparkling Lake San Cristobal. This should be the scenery behind your next high-country adventure.
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license, or State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area or state trust lands.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license, or State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area or state trust lands.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Rito Hondo State Wildlife Area and Continental Reservoir
Admission: /a valid Hunting license, Fishing license, or State Wildlife Area Pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Mason Family State Wildlife Area (Cebolla Creek)
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license, or State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area or state trust lands.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Lake Fork Gunnison River State Wildlife Area
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license, or State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area or state trust lands.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: Free to explore museum and site. Fee for rock hounding.
Ownership: Private
Wheeler Geologic Area
This is one of the most remote and difficult-to-access locations on the entire birding trail. The geology of the area is so unique and the scenery so striking that it was declared Colorado’s first National Monument in 1908, but that status was revoked in 1950 due to the difficulty of visiting this place. To get here, you need either four-wheel-drive and high clearance or a mountain bike and a strong pair of legs. On your way there, you will pass through amazing spruce-fir habitat, with crossbills, Gray Jays, and Three-toed Woodpeckers. One lucky group found a Boreal Owl roosting in a tree here. This area is about as wild as it gets, and you could see any kind of wildlife, from elk and deer to lynx and moose.
Creede
This historic silver-mining town is today a quaint little mountain village with quite a bit of personality. It’s a fine base for exploring of the southern San Juans. In town, residents feed birds that can include Steller’s Jays and many species of finch, even rosy-finches in the winter.
FR 503 North of Creede
This is a scenic and historic road that runs through a spectacular canyon past numerous abandoned silver mines and extensive stands of bristlecone pine. White-throated Swifts hurtle overhead in the canyon, and once you emerge in the north into montane forests and meadows, almost any high-elevation bird is possible. This is also one of the areas in the San Juan mountains where you may be able to find a moose.
Broadacre Ranch Pond
This small pond is private, but easily scanned in five minutes from the north side of CO 149. Hooded Mergansers have turned up here among lots of Common Mergansers, and the pond could attract other goodies too. Don’t zoom past it if you’re headed this way.
Pond along FR 523
A rather small farmer’s pond that is somewhat distant from the road, this body of water nonetheless attracts a good number of ducks in spring and fall, in addition to birds like Western Grebe and Wilson’s Phalarope, there’s osprey that feed in the small pond from a nearby nesting pair. A spotting scope is recommended to see the birds well from the public road.
Reservoirs along CO 149
Surrounded by miles of mountainous terrain with very little standing water, these small and rather nondescript ponds can attract many waterbirds in spring and fall, including various ducks, Western and Eared Grebes, Bald Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons have been seen hunting here. Mountain Bluebirds breed in the nearby meadows, which provide grazing areas for elk, deer, and occasionally moose.
Rio Grande Reservoir and Road Canyon Reservoir
The small Road Canyon Reservoir often hosts migrating diving ducks such as Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, and Lesser Scaup. Rio Grande Reservoir is the largest lake in Hinsdale County and part of the headwaters of the same Rio Grande that eventually flows between Texas and Mexico. Although it is not a great place to look for ducks, it is a beautiful body of water with an impressive backdrop of the San Juan Mountains. Large herds of elk can sometimes be seen in the meadows near the lake.
North Clear Creek Campground
This is a very nice hosted campground among aspen and spruce trees with plenty of birds, including Pine Grosbeak, Fox Sparrow, Cassin’s Finch, and Gray Jay. Black Swifts, presumably from the colony at North Clear Creek Falls, have been seen flying overhead. The flowery meadows are a good place to look for nectaring butterflies. Bears are in the area, but you probably don’t want to see them too close to your campsite, so take care to store your food properly!
Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area
This is one of the best birding locations on the Silver Thread. Many species of ducks stop here in spring and fall, as do Eared Grebe, Spotted Sandpiper, and various swallows. Fox Sparrows breed in the willows below the dam, there’s a summering population of white pelicans, and you might see a Black-crowned Night-Heron too. Bald Eagles can sometimes be seen in the area. A few miles beyond Brown Lakes up the mountain is FR 514, which runs through some nice spruce-fir forest with Three-toed Woodpeckers. Mammals in the area include elk, deer, and marmot.
North Clear Creek Falls
This is one of the more impressive waterfalls in Colorado; the view from the overlook at the top of the falls is often photographed. For birders, the main attraction is the nesting colony of Black Swifts. But these birds are very difficult to see, as they visit nest sites mostly at dawn and dusk, and even then they may slip in unnoticed below the horizon. At any time of day, but especially if the weather is threatening or stormy, they can be seen hawking insects high overhead. Even if you miss the swifts, you should be able to see American Dippers. The overlook has interpretive signage. Along CO 149 north of the falls are some wetlands where you might see moose foraging.
Rito Hondo State Wildlife Area and Continental Reservoir
Rito Hondo State Wildlife Area contains a small lake, that can be covered with diving ducks in spring and fall. To the west is Continental Reservoir, a larger body of water that can also host waterfowl. The birding isn’t as good at Continental Reservoir, but you might see ospreys fishing and the scenery is better. Along the entrance road between the lakes, keep an eye out for moose along North Clear Creek, golden-mantled ground-squirrel and yellow-bellied marmot. Rito Hondo has restrooms and a basic campground.
Slumgullion Pass
Slumgullion Pass, along with Spring Creek Pass just to the south, are the high points along CO 149. The highway runs through excellent spruce-fir forest where Pine Grosbeak and Red Crossbill can be found; White-winged Crossbill has also been seen. Boreal Owls breed here and can occasionally be heard from the road on late winter and early spring nights. Other wildlife is common in this remote area. You might see a porcupine crossing the road, or even a lynx, since that species has done well following its reintroduction into the San Juans. A side attraction is the Slumgullion Earthflow, an enormous mudslide that is still slowly moving, responsible for the formation of Lake San Cristobal.
Mason Family State Wildlife Area (Cebolla Creek)
This state wildlife area was formerly known as ‘Cebolla Creek.’ This area has a striking mix of habitats, including rocky cliffs, wet meadows, streamside willow thickets, and montane coniferous forest. Look for Rock Wrens and Savannah, Lincoln’s, and Brewer’s Sparrows. Dusky Grouse are in the area, and Gray Jays might steal your food if you picnic in the SWA parking lot. This is also a good area to look for butterflies. People are not likely to bother you here, and there are no facilities, but you might find marmots, sqirrels, deer, elk, or even bear or mountain lion if you are very fortunate.
American Basin
This beautiful high-elevation basin is on the southern part of the Alpine Loop, up the valley from Lake San Cristobal above Lake City. With caution, most passenger cars should be able to make it to the basin, but certainly not much farther. You will need to hike to get to ptarmigan and rosy-finch, but this is probably the shortest hike to these birds in Hinsdale County. With a 4×4 you can drive all the way to Cinnamon Pass and down into Silverton. This road is not for the faint of heart, but the scenery is outstanding. The whole area is closed during the colder months.
Engineer Pass Road
This road connects Lake City with Silverton and forms the northern part of the Alpine Loop. Engineer Pass requires 4WD and high clearance, but accesses some of the most beautiful and extensive tundra habitat in the state. Those without 4WD can hike up the Nellie Creek road (or drive it in a high-clearance vehicle) to the trailhead for Uncompaghre Peak, highest peak in the San Juans at 14,309 feet. The spruce-fir habitat around the trailhead and along the Engineer Pass Road is excellent for the likes of Three-toed Woodpecker and Pine Grosbeak. In the alpine tundra areas, look for Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, American Pipit, and, with luck, White-tailed Ptarmigan. These roads are closed during the colder months.
Lake City
Lake City is the only town in Hinsdale County, Colorado’s least-populated county. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this is the most remote country in the lower 48 United States, by virtue of its containing the area farthest from a road. The Weminuche Wilderness makes up a vast portion of the county, and you won’t find a wilder place in Colorado. That said, Lake City has all the amenities and is a great place to base yourself as you explore the wilderness. Right in town you can find many birds, especially hummingbirds and finches at feeders. In the northwest corner of town is Pete’s Pond, probably the best birding area in town, where Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been seen (but Black-headed is more likely) and several species of ducks can be found in the warmer months. The two cemeteries north of town can have migrants in season and birds like Clark’s Nutcracker and all three species of nuthatch year-round. Just south of town lies scenic Lake San Cristobal, the second-largest natural lake in the state, where you might find a few ducks or an Osprey or Bald Eagle if you’re lucky.
Lake Fork Gunnison River State Wildlife Area
This small State Wildlife Area fishing easement is only a hundred yards from the highway, but gets very few visitors. This easement is on private property and access is allowed only for fishing. The rushing stream is lined with willows and some cottonwoods, and you can find many nesting species of bird including Yellow Warbler, American Dipper, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. The canyon walls provide nesting areas for White-throated Swifts and Violet-green Swallows. If you watch the running water closely, you might see a brown, rainbow or cutthroat trout rise to the surface of this gold-medal fishery river.
Last Chance Mine
The 17-mile bachelor historic loop takes visitors through Creede’s unique silver mining district and past two ghost town sites. Virtually all of the Bachelor Loop runs through private land. The Last Chance Mine, perched on a canyon wall high above West Willow Creek, provides an opportunity to get out of the car and explore the area on foot. In its glory days, the Last Chance was one of Creede’s richest silver mines, running almost continuously from 1891 to 1947. Mining ended completely in the early 1960’s. Several of the mine buildings have undergone restoration since 2000, and in addition to prospecting for high elevation subalpine birds and abundant wildlife, rock hounds are allowed to collect specimens for a small fee per pound. A museum also provides a large selection of rock specimens for sale. Proprietor Jack Morris is happy to take visitors on a tour and share the areas abundant history.