If you’re looking for a place to bird right in the middle of Steamboat Springs, then this is it. This cycling and walking trail follows a riparian corridor for six miles through town, with pockets of cottonwoods, willows, and fields. American Dipper can be found along the trail year round, and summer residents include Tree and Cliff Swallows, Gray Catbird, and Bullock’s Oriole. Bohemian Waxwings are sometimes present in winter. A good stop midway along the trail is the Yampa Botanical Gardens. If you bird this trail, be careful to stay out of the way of fast-moving bicycles.
Yampa
One of the Last Wild Rivers
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. People are often surprised to find Wood Ducks on the water, Gray Catbirds singing in the dense undergrowth, and Bobolinks gurgling over the adjacent wet meadows, but these species are regular here due to the valley’s unique hydrology. The resort town of Steamboat Springs is drained by the Yampa, as are the remote peaks of the Zirkel Wilderness and the wild upland parks where some of Colorado’s only breeding Sharp-tailed Grouse and Sandhill Cranes are found. Exploring this watershed is a wonderful way to get to know Colorado up close and personal.
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Yampa 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
Fish Creek Falls
A tremendous attraction practically right in Steamboat, these falls (283 feet high!) have something to offer everyone. The waterfalls themselves are quite beautiful, and a good trail lets almost anyone enjoy them. Montane shrubland and stunted aspen in the area offer a wide variety of avian life, including Band-tailed Pigeon (mostly seen in the morning and evening), Orange-crowned and Virginia’s Warblers, Townsend’s Solitaire, and American Dipper. You can also access this area in the winter, when Sharp-tailed Grouse are sometimes found.
Spring Creek Trail
Another great mountain trail right outside of Steamboat, this can be a great place to spend a morning on a visit to the town. The trail covers a nice elevational gradient, starting out in montane shrubland and riparian and rising up into ponderosa pine forest, aspen woodland, and open meadows. Lower down, look for species like Green-tailed Towhee, Orange-crowned and Virginia’s Warblers, Plumbeous Vireo, and Western Scrub-Jay, and higher up Steller’s Jay, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dusky Flycatcher, and Violet-green Swallow. The upper sections of the trail are closed in the late fall and winter.
Mad Creek Trail
This trail not far outside of Steamboat is a good place to experience the montane shrubland that dominates the lower slopes in the area. Following Mad Creek, but usually high above it, the trail provides opportunities to see species like Green-tailed Towhee, Virginia’s Warbler, Steller’s Jay, and Mountain Bluebird in the Gambel Oak woodland, and American Dippers on the creek below. Garter snakes are sometimes seen here.
Slavonia Trailhead
Another trail accessing the Zirkel Wilderness, this is a great introduction to a variety of montane habitats. Seedhouse Road on the way to the trailhead passes through excellent aspen and coniferous woodland; look for Red-naped Sapsucker, Warbling Vireo, Dusky Flycatcher, and MacGillivray’s Warbler. Along the trail itself look in the willow carrs for Lincoln’s and White-crowned Sparrows and the local Willow Flycatcher, and in coniferous woodland for species such as Olive-sided Flycatcher and finches. A large blowdown along the trail is good for woodpeckers of various stripes, including American Three-toed. The whole area is good for elk as well.
Pearl Lake State Park
One of the most remote state parks in the state is also one of the most beautiful. Surrounded by gorgeous coniferous forests, it is a good place to look for species such as Olive-sided Flycatcher, Pine Grosbeak, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and, if you’re lucky, Dusky Grouse in the evergreen forest. Red-naped Sapsucker and Flammulated Owl nest in the aspen woodlands. Sandhill Cranes can sometimes be found in montane meadows nearby. Tiger salamanders and striped chorus frogs can be seen in the wet areas.
Steamboat Lake State Park
A large, very scenic lake nested in a wide valley, Steamboat Lake is an excellent all-around birding site and well worth a visit. The lake itself has a good number of nesting waterfowl (mostly common species), and can be a decent stop during migration for a variety of divers and sometimes a loon or a grebe. The meadows on the way there and around the lake are good for Sandhill Crane, and marshy areas along the lake margin have Yellow-headed Blackbird and Savannah Sparrow. Lodgepole pine woodlands surrounding the lake it is a good place to find Yellow Warblers, White-crowned Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Western Tanagers, Red-napped Sapsuckers and Mountain Chickadees. and other common montane forest species. Mule deer and red foxes are common in the park.
Hahns Peak Lake
This small mountain lake usually isn’t worth a visit for waterbirds, but the excellent montane forest surrounding it is another story entirely. Mixed lodgepole and ponderosa pine, with a good dose of aspen, make this a good place to look for species like Olive-sided, Cordilleran, and Dusky Flycatchers, Williamson’s Sapsucker, and at night, Flammulated Owl.
Morgan Bottoms
This scenic road follows the Yampa River, with a healthy riparian corridor and wet fields on one side, and drier sage and montane shrubland on the other. Look in the wet fields for migrant Sandhill Cranes in season, as well as Great Horned Owls, Bald Eagles, and Lazuli Buntings. The shrubland can have Green-tailed Towhee, Loggerhead Shrike, Virginia’s Warbler, and occasionally Sharp-tailed Grouse. Mule deer are common to abundant in the area.
Yampa Preserve
Another Nature Conservancy owned property, this one has more open access than the Carpenter Ranch and also has some of the same avian highlights. Well-marked trails pass through woodlands of narrowleaf cottonwood, box elder, and red-osier dogwood; keep an eye out for Belted Kingfisher, Great Horned Owl, Gray Catbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Yellow Warbler, and American and Lesser Goldfinches. Veery also breeds here, though it can be hard to find.
Carpenter Ranch
This is a working cattle ranch owned by the Nature Conservancy, but drop-in visitors are welcome between 9 AM and noon on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from May 15 to September 1. The property has the highest nesting population of Bobolink in western Colorado; look for the birds in hayfields. Sandhill Crane can also be seen. There is a trail system in riparian habitat along the Yampa River, where you might see American Kestrel, Bald Eagle, and American Goldfinch. Rarer nesters include Veery, American Redstart, and Red-eyed Vireo. This is also one of the few places in Colorado where river otters can be found, although they are rarely seen.
Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition Viewing Site
This private site has views of a hay meadow that is visited by Sandhill Cranes during migration, including during the Yampa Valley Crane Festival in early September. The Yampa River runs through the property with excellent waterfowl and shorebird habitat as well as a large stand of cottonwood trees. In addition to great birding opportunities, beaver and river otter are seen regularly in the area.
Hayden Grouse Leks
The area right outside of Hayden is one of the best in Colorado to see two species of lekking grouse in the spring, Sharp-tailed and Greater Sage-Grouse. With a good dose of luck you could also find a Dusky Grouse displaying in the same area. For Sharp-tailed Grouse take CR 80 over the first rise, down into the valley, and up to the next rise. Look on the small hill to the right (east) for the lek. For Greater Sage-Grouse continue for a total of 4 miles from the start of CR 80 and look about 200 yards off to the left (west) for the lek. The best spot for Dusky Grouse is right on top of the first rise after the start of the country road. Also look for Sandhill Cranes, which can usually be found along this road during the spring. Note that this road is not maintained in winter, and in some years it does not become passable until late April due to snowbanks. Exercise caution if the road is not dry.
California Park
California Park has one of the highest breeding populations of Sandhill Crane in the state, and thus is also one of the best places to see that species outside of migration. However, to protect this sensitive species, the road doesn’t open until after they have nested, around July 1st. They are easy to find after then, until they migrate out for the fall. California Park is excellent for other species like Purple Martin in the larger aspen stands, Fox Sparrow in willow carrs, and the off chance at a Sharp-tailed Grouse just about anywhere away from the trees. This route is also very good for seeing mammals such as elk and mule deer. The state endangered boreal toad breeds in the area.
Yampa River State Wildlife Area
The riparian habitat along the Yampa River is perhaps the best in western Colorado, and this state wildlife area not far west of Steamboat is one of the better places to access it. Good trails allows thorough access; look for species such as Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Yellow Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, and others. Fields in the park often play host to Sandhill Cranes, and who knows what migration might bring!