Photo Credit: Dave Showalter © All Rights Reserved
September
Bike the Refuge
Saturday, September 26
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Grab your helmet and water bottle for a leisurely bike ride that meanders through prairie dog towns, woodlands, and along lake edges.
Family Fishing
Saturday, September 26
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Gather the family and head out to the Refuge lakes! Get “hooked” on this unforgettable fishing adventure. The lakes are filled with bluegill, channel catfish, and trophy-size largemouth bass. Don’t forget to bring your cameras for a souvenir photo of your big catch. No pole? Don’t worry – you can borrow one of ours.
October
Tuesday Tots: Spook-tacular Bats
Tuesday October 6th
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Do all bats really sleep upside down? How do bats see in the dark? Do they really get stuck in your hair? Learn the myths and truths about these fantastic flying mammals, and make a craft to take home.
Autumn Hayride
Saturday October 10th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Take a step back in time and enjoy the fall colors, plentiful wildlife and crisp air on a family-style hayride around the Refuge’s lakes and woodlands. Remember your warm blankets and cameras!
Bike the Refuge
Tuesday October 13th
1:00 PM and 3:00 PM
Join us for a unique opportunity to explore the Refuge on two wheels. Keep your eyes open for skittish white-tailed deer as you roll around the lakes, prairie and woodland.
Refuge Roundup
Saturday October 17th
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Refuge Roundup is back in expanded form for a third consecutive year, and, once again, everyone is welcome to step back in time onto the prairie for an even bigger and better celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week and our Western heritage. Refuge Roundup is free and visitors can stop by to enjoy performances throughout the day by Rudy Grant and the Branded Band, Calico and Boots Square Dance Exhibition Team, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, and the Chimaltonalli Aztec Dancers. Also featured will be an exhibition by Jose Torres and his Dancing Horses and live cavalry drills by the Buffalo Soldiers of the American West. In addition, cowboys from An Open Range Experience will give lessons on roping and wrangling, and the South Platte Valley Historical Society will help visitors master archery.
Western crafts and games for children of all ages will be offered all day and visitors can participate in most activities at Refuge Roundup 2009 on a drop-in basis,
without making reservations. Other groups featured at the event include Plains Conservation Center, Wildly Beautiful (formerly known as PredaTour), Colorado Historical Society, Colorado Hawking Club and National Eagle and Wildlife Property Repository. Reservations required for bison tours and hayrides. Call the Refuge today at 303-289-0930!
Waterfowl ID
Wednesday October 21st
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a green-winged teal! Grab your binoculars and learn how to spot and identify signs of the colorful waterfowl that visit the Refuge’s lakes each fall.
Fall Photo Tour
Saturday October 24th
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Calling all photographers! Dust off your cameras and come out for some stunning shots of the golden fall foliage and abundant wildlife spending their autumn on the Refuge.
Halloween Hike
Saturday October 31st
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Come dressed in your Halloween best, and join the costume parade around Lake Mary. Along the way discover the scary, the icky, and the yucky animals that live here.
November
Autumn Hayride
November 1st
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Take a step back in time and enjoy the fall colors, plentiful wildlife and crisp air on a family-style hayride around the Refuge’s lakes and woodlands. Remember your warm blankets and cameras!
Tuesday Tots – Oh Deer!
Tuesday November 3rd
10:00AM – 11:00 AM
Learn fun facts about the deer that live on the Refuge and the unique ways they’ve adapted for survival. Head out for a search to find these furry mammals and create a doe-eyed craft.
Home on the Range
Saturday November 7th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Bring your family to see North America’s largest land mammal right in Denver’s backyard! Get a firsthand look at these majestic giants that were nearly driven to extinction, and snap some pictures of the bison calves before they lose their cinnamon-colored coats!
Fall Photo Tour
Sunday November 8th
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Get your shutter fingers ready for this guided tour in search of the Refuge’s amazing wildlife and breathtaking vistas!
VETERAN’S DAY – REFUGE CLOSED
Wednesday November 11th
Magnificent Mulies
Saturday November 14th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Tuesday November 24th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
The Refuge’s mule deer bucks have once again grown massive antlers that are sure to impress all the does. Join us to learn some interesting facts about their biology and behavior, then take a tour to look for these mighty bucks!
Friends of a Feather
Tuesday November 17th
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Join a local birder for an early morning birding expedition during the peak of waterfowl viewing season. Don’t forget your binoculars, and keep your eyes on the skies and the water!
Big Bucks Photo Tour
Saturday, November 21st
6:30AM – 11:00AM
Join professional photographer/author, Dave Showalter for this special photo tour in search of showy bucks in the rut. Just before sunrise begin the day with a continental breakfast sponsored by the Friends of the Front Range and head out in search of the perfect picture. Telephoto lens recommended.
Holiday Turkey Tours
Wednesday November 25th
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Saturday November 28th
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday November 29th
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Looking for something to do with visiting friends and relatives? Bring them out for a free, guided tour of the Refuge! Remember your binoculars to help spot deer, coyotes, raptors and bison, and warm up with a cup of cider or hot chocolate afterwards. Kids can make a special craft to bring home too!
December
Tuesday Tots – Eagles in the Sky
Tuesday December 1st
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Join a Refuge Ranger to learn all about our national symbol, the Bald Eagle. Enjoy a read-along story about a young eaglet, fly with the eagles and make an eagle family photo album of your very own.
White Flags
Saturday December 5th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Learn some fascinating facts about the graceful white-tailed deer’s skittish behavior while searching the Refuge for these sleek and slender mammals.
Frosty Photo Tour
Sunday December 6th
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wednesday December 30th
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Jack Frost is nipping on your nose so now is the time for the perfect shot of amazing winter wildlife and majestic landscapes this time of year.
Home on the Range
Saturday December 12th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Bring your family to see North America’s largest land mammal right in Denver’s backyard! Get a firsthand look at these majestic giants that were nearly driven to extinction, and snap some pictures of the bison calves before they lose their cinnamon-colored coats!
Birding Basics
Wednesday December 16th
8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Want to bird with the best? Join a Refuge birder and learn the do’s and don’ts of birding. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the insiders’ tips and secrets on better birding! Binoculars are recommended.
Eagles on Holiday
Saturday December 19th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Sunday December 20th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
We’re not the only ones who spend their holidays in warmer climates; nearly 100 Bald Eagles are visiting us from the cold north! Don’t miss this chance to see America’s national icon in this winter wonderland!
Holiday Tours
Wednesday December 23rd
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Saturday December 27th
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday December 28th
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Got relatives to entertain this holiday season? Bring them on down to the Refuge for a relaxing tour around the Refuge in search of whitetail and mule deer, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles and American bison! Warm up with hot chocolate and cider, and make a seasonal craft to take home!
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