Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Reserve, Metro Denver, and Departure
April 6th, 2025
What a relief to sleep in until 7am! Today is our last day in Colorado, and, compared to the previous couple of days, activities are light. We plan to go to Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Reserve (RMANWR) after breakfast at the Hampton Inn by the airport, then visit downtown before departing for home in the evening.
Breakfast was typical for the Hampton Inn chain: Omelettes, sausage patties, oatmeal, and waffles. Coffee rounded out the morning ritual.
Finally, it was time to check out and go to the reserve.
RMANWR was previously the site for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (hence the name), which was established in 1942 for manufacturing chemical weapons, Napalm being one of its more well-known products. This expansive location just east of Denver was chosen because of its location in the interior of the USA, proximity to water, and access to railroads. Following World War II, the Arsenal was developed as a multi-purpose development area. Shell Oil Company produced pesticides, while the government made jet fuel for the rockets in the Space Race. Eventually, due to concerns for contamination and environmental damage, the site was closed after the Vietnam War, and, over the ensuing decades, underwent an extensive cleanup effort in its evolution into the RMANWR.
The first stop, as is mandatory at any park or reserve in the National Park Service (NPS), is to go to the visitor center and obtain a stamp in the NWR passport. I also purchased some patches and stickers to add to my collection.
A small but informative exhibit details the history of the Arsenal, and features objects from its days as a manufacturing site.
Past the visitor center, the 11-mile wildlife drive starts. A podcast from the NPS is free to download for listening along the drive. Two lakes line the first mile, with numerous waterfowl and gulls resting on the water. Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs combed the shoreline. These lakes were truly an oasis in the prairie landscape in the rest of the reserve.
What an amazing natural area! While the vast majority of vegetation is a mix of short- and tall-grass, with some trees dotted along the way, the prairie expanded westward towards the mountains. This created a stunning image of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains towering over the skyline of Denver.
If the mountains didn’t demand enough attention, then the Bison certainly steal the show. Part of a reintroduction program, these mammals graze languidly along the road and across the RMANWR. I never realized how large they are!
A mammal lifer for sure!
Other animals that inhabit the reserve include Gunnison Prairie Dogs, Horned Larks, and Bald Eagles.
Saying goodbye to the RMANWR, we headed to Denver for a final look at the metropolis. We met some friends in the suburbs for lunch and a quick walk in their neighborhood. Then, it was time for us to head for the airport for our direct flight home to Milwaukee.
Colorado proved to be a great destination not just for birding, but also for other wildlife and, of course, the scenery. I ended my weekend trip with three bird lifers, and many more mammal lifers. I will definitely return for more birding, but only if the weather cooperates!
Until next time, wherever the birds take me…
