South Platte Park is a natural oasis within the city featuring 880 acres of open space along the South Platte River and Mary Carter Greenway Trail. Visitors can fish for small-mouth bass and trout in the five lakes; kayak through gentle water or rapids in the river; cycle or run the regional trail, or walk or nature-watch on miles of natural surface trails.
At the Carson Nature Center, re-create the area’s famous 1965 flood at the interactive River Table or observe live animals in the Center’s exhibits. Outdoors, search for hundreds of species of wildlife close to home.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Welcome to
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, it’s FREE to visit! Located just 10 miles northeast of downtown Denver, you can step into nature and see the native wildlife that call the Refuge home. Bison, deer, raptors, songbirds, waterfowl, prairie dogs, and coyotes are just a few of the animals you will see on your visit. Kids can participate it the
Junior Ranger program, free nature programs and 20 miles of easy hiking trails.
Fountain Creek Nature Center
Only 15 minutes south of downtown Colorado Springs, Fountain Creek Regional Park is an “oasis on the plains” with ponds, marshes, meadows, cottonwood forests, and Fountain Creek itself. Fountain Creek Nature Center offers a unique look into the Cattail Marsh Wildlife Area and serves as an introduction to a variety of discovery experiences. Indoor exhibits offer information on aquatic macroinvertebrates, birds, local history, and sustainability. Fountain Creek Nature Center hosts interpretive programs, special events, group tours, and environmental education programs for schools year-round.
Bear Creek Nature Center
Hike the foothills, search for mule deer, and discover Bear Creek! Scrub oak thicket, ponderosa pine forests, meadows, a mountain creek, and abundant foothills wildlife attract children and adults to Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center. Interpretive programs, special events, guided and self-guided tours, and media presentations are offered all year. Outside, two miles of self-guiding nature trails wind through the short grass prairie, scrub oak woodlands and cottonwood riparian communities. The nature trails are for “foot traffic only” and pets are prohibited. The regional trails are open to hiking, horseback riding, and pets on a leash.
