Tag: outdoors

The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA), located just outside of Salida, is a popular spot for kayaking and whitewater rafting. In fact, according to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the Arkansas River is the “most commercially rafted river in the United States.” The park also offers camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching and features event space, equestrian stables, picnic areas, and a visitor’s center.

With boating being the park’s most popular activity, the park website features many resources including river safety and flow information, current water temps and daily averages, and a river outfitter’s page. Also, be sure to view the park’s River Safety and Etiquette brochure.

AHRA was established in 1989. In 2001 a park management plan was published for AHRA. A revision of this plan is currently underway, which you can learn more about on the AHRA website. The park also publishes an annual report; issues back to 2000 are available from our library.

Additional resources available on the AHRA website include a bird species list; fly fishing etiquette; a bus drivers’ guide; water needs assessment; videos; and volunteer information.

For more about the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and to plan your trip, see the park’s official map and brochure.

“Leaf peeping season” has arrived. Where are the best places to go to view Colorado’s colorful aspens?

For suggestions on Colorado’s most colorful state parks, visit Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Fall Colors page. Here you can find suggestions not only for where to go, but how – whether you prefer a car trip, camping, hiking, biking, horseback, or a fall-themed outdoor event. Or view their publication Rush to the Gold: 8 Recommended Fall Trips in Colorado State Parks. Find the State Park nearest you with CPW’s Park Finder map. And don’t forget, you can check out a parks pass from your library.

Colorado scenic byways are another great way to view fall colors. The byways program highlights some of the most scenic drives in our state. See the Colorado Tourism Office’s list of 5 Color-Drenched Colorado Scenic Byways. If you still need more ideas, check out these additional articles from the Colorado Tourism Office for suggestions:

• 4 Fall-Foliage Drives in Colorado
• 5 Fall Bike Rides in Colorado
• 9 Favorite Fall Dog Hikes 
• 10 Places to See Colorado’s Fall Color
• Aspen Viewing: Drives to See Fall Leaves in Colorado
• Fall in Colorado: Go for the Gold 
• Fall Festivals & Fall Drives: Perfect Colorado Pair
• Ways to Explore Colorado’s Fall Colors 

When‘s the best time to go leaf peeping? See the Colorado State Forest Service’s Planning Your Fall Foliage Experience website for viewing tips and how to pick the peak week to go.  

Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) every five years.  The current plan, issued in 2014, covers Colorado recreation planning, funding, and grants for 2014-2018.  According to the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website,

In our library you can view previous Colorado SCORPs back to the 1960s, as well as other Colorado recreation plans such as the Colorado State Parks Five-Year Strategic Plan, 2005-2009.  The 2003 and 2008 SCORPs are available online; the others can be checked out from our library.

It’s officially fall, which can be a great time to head outdoors.  It’s still warm enough to hike, and in the high country the fall colors are on brilliant display.  Wildlife are also making their preparations for winter.

Sights and Sounds of Autumn is a publication from the Colorado Division of Wildlife that explores characteristics of animal behavior in this season, from bugling elk to migrating birds, spawning trout to mating moose.  Colorado Parks & Wildlife has a list of places to go to see migrating birds.  Other wildlife species are storing food and preparing their bodies to stay warm over the long winter.  Another Division of Wildlife publication, Bears, takes a look at how these large mammals increase their search for food and can be a potential hazard to humans. 

Heading up to the mountains to see the fall colors has always been popular in Colorado.  Many of the places nearest the metro area get quite crowded, so if you’re looking for somewhere new to go, state agencies have issued several guides that can help.  Rush to the Gold is a publication that highlights fall color viewing in the State Parks.  Discover Colorado:  Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways and the Colorado Department of Transportation’s byways website provide ideas for driving tours of the fall colors.  The Colorado Tourism Office also has a list of suggested sites on their website, as does Colorado Parks and Wildlife.  You can also search our library’s online catalog for maps and trails guides.  Colorado’s aspen forests are not only adapting to the season change, but are adapting to climate change as well.  What’s Happening to Colorado’s Aspen Forests?, a publication from the Colorado State Forest Service, explores this issue.

Wildflower season has arrived in Colorado’s high country, and with this year’s added moisture, you can expect a good show.  The Colorado Tourism Office has put together a list of suggested wildflower hikes, from the metro area to the Western Slope.  Many Colorado State Parks also offer great places to view wildflowers, particularly those in the central mountains and the San Juans.  A number of parks are within easy access from I-70.

Hiking through wildflowers near Crested Butte.  Photo courtesy Colorado Tourism Office.

If you are interested in learning about the wildflowers you see on your hike, our library has many resources that can help you identify and understand these beauties.  Check out the two companion volumes Colorado Flora:  Western Slope and Colorado Flora:  Eastern Slope, published by University Press of Colorado.  We also have a number of other resources including information from the Colorado State University Extension, so be sure to search our web catalog for resources, including both print and digital.

School’s out, and the weather is finally warming up.  Time to go fishing!  Fishing can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is a great way to introduce city kids to the outdoors.  On their website Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers a map app, 101(+) Places to Take a Kid Fishing.  This fun, animated map includes fishing spots in every corner of the state, from the mountains to the metro area and even on the Eastern plains.  Click on a splashing fish to get information about the location, including a description of the area, fish species, scheduled events such as fishing clinics, and directions for finding the spot.

Other resources from CPW can also help families – and anyone else – decide on where to go fish. See the annual Colorado Fishing brochure for seasonal information.  Also check out the Colorado Fishing Atlas and Fishing Close to Home (available for checkout from our library).

Note:  Kids under 16 don’t require fishing licenses, but adult anglers will need one in order to fish.  Visit CPW’s website for fishing license information, season dates, and fees.  The first full weekend in June each year (this year — June 6 and 7) is Free Fishing Weekend, the only time each year when anyone can fish without a license.

If you enjoy camping, our state offers some terrific options from the mountains to the plains.  Right now is an especially good time to head up to the mountains, as the wildflowers are in bloom.  The Colorado Tourism Office has recently put together a list of “10 Amazing Colorado Campsites.”  Colorado Parks and Wildlife also has a helpful Camping website.  Here you can find out about camping in State Parks and reserve your campsite online. 

Planning on doing some fishing this summer?  If so, Colorado State University just made it easier to identify the fish you catch.  They have created the eField Guide to Western Fishes — Colorado and Wyoming.  You can use the e-field guide on your phone or tablet as they are caught, or search on your computer to find out various fish facts, such as the difference between spiny rayed fish or soft rayed fish.  In addition to color photos of all fish species, the guide includes a glossary, checklist, family groupings, and more.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks & Wildlife) has also published numerous fishing guidebooks and other resources for anglers of all skill levels.  Their annual Fishing Guide, a supplement to Colorado Outdoors Magazine, has just been released — check out a copy from our library.  Other helpful resources available for checkout include: 

• Fishing Close to Home
• Fly Fishing Colorado (DVD)
• Colorado Fishing Map
• Colorado fishing regulations brochure (in print and online)

The Arkansas Darter, a Colorado fish.  Photo by John Woodling, courtesy Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

Colorado’s newest State Park opened to the public on May 21.  Staunton State Park in Jefferson County offers hiking trails, terrific scenery, and a waterfall.  Frances Hornbook Staunton donated 1,720 acres of her land to Colorado State Parks in 1986.  Over the years, parcels were added to make up the current 3,828-acre Staunton State Park, including 510 acres from the Elk Falls Ranch; the 1,000-acre Davis Ranch, and the 80-acre parcel that once belonged to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Mary Coyle Chase.  Popular features of the Park include the Davis Ponds for fishing and the 10-mile round-trip hike to Elk Falls Overlook, featuring a waterfall.  For more information on Staunton State Park, including hours, fees, directions, facilities, and activities, click here.

Photo courtesy Colorado Parks & Wildlife