Description: Three miles of cottonwood and willow riparian woodlands and wetlands along the floodplain of Fountain Creek. Adjacent meadows, marshes and ponds support five distinct biological communities. Surface water and lush adjacent wetland vegetation create a natural corridor for migrating wildlife.

Viewing Information: Active great blue heron nesting colony in the cottonwood trees adjacent to the creek has hosted 82 nests in past years. Excellent birding, especially for migrant songbirds utilizing the riparian habitat and waterbirds on the creek and ponds. The birdlist contains 257 species. Good for reptiles including snapping, painted and western box turtles, pond sliders, six-lined racerunners, bullsnakes, garter snakes. Mammals include black-tailed prairie dogs, fox squirrels, beavers, muskrats, coyotes, red foxes, raccoons, striped skunks, bobcats, white-tailed deer. The nature center offers on-site interpreters, natural history information and public programs.

Ownership: El Paso County Parks, (Nature Center 719.520.6745)
Size: 352 acres
Closest town: Fountain
Available: restaurants, lodging

This viewing site information is from the Colorado Wildlife Viewing Guide, Second Edition. Other good-for-herp sites found in the guide: Picketwire Canyonlands—site 24; Colorado National Monument—site 180.

To purchase a Colorado viewing guide, go to Shop@DOW.

End of this issue.

(The information contained in this issue of Colorado's Wildlife Company was accurate at the time of original publication. Situations and circumstances described, staff positions, contact information, and dates of some events may have changed in the interim. Present knowledge and understanding of biological and behavioral facts and information may also be different, now, than presented here.)