Denver County
Author(s): Andrew Spencer, Nathan Pieplow
County Seat: Denver
County Size: 154.63 square miles
Low Elevation: 5,132 ft. - South Platte River on the Adams border
High Elevation : 5,680 ft. - Kipling near Belleview
Best Birds : Eskimo Curlew (1882), Wood Stork (1934)
Checklist : Download pdf | View HTML
Introduction: Synonymous with the city of Denver, the mile-high city, this tiny county is not one that will easily yield a mile-high list. For the most part, Denver County is an urban wasteland. However, there are a few diamonds in the rough here, including one of the great metro area reservoirs, a few thickly vegetated greenbelts, and even some undeveloped areas on the plains. A concentrated effort and some time will eventually result in quite a decent selection of birds.
Birding Locations
Berkeley Lake and Rocky Mountain Lake
Aliases - Rocky Mountain Lake
Description - These two lakes, the foci of Berkeley Park and Rocky Mountain Lake Park, respectively, are nearly adjacent and nearly identical. Both are medium-sized lakes ringed by a thin but birdy line of cattails, which are in turn ringed by walking trails. Look for breeding coots and Pied-billed Grebes in summer and for Aechmophorus grebes and numerous species of ducks in migration and winter. Various gulls are a possibility. Both parks also have mature shade trees which may harbor resident and migrant landbirds.
Habitat - Pond, Marsh, Park
Directions - From I-70 west of I-25 in Denver, take either the Federal Boulevard exit (#272) or the Sheridan Boulevard exit (#271). Take either Federal or Sheridan south two blocks to West 46th Avenue. Both parks are on the north side of West 46th east of Sheridan and west of Federal.
Delorme - 40 B2
Roads of Colorado - 72 C1, 73 D1
Sloan's Lake
Description - The second-largest body of water in the county after Marston, Sloan's Lake is quite urban, but has hosted excellent goodies including Red-throated Loon and Mew and Laughing Gulls. The park on the east side of the lake contains some mature trees, but they are fairly widely spaced.
Habitat - Lake, Park
Directions - From I-70 west of I-25 in Denver, take the Sheridan Boulevard exit (#271). Follow Sheridan south about a mile to Sloan's Lake on the left (east).
Delorme - 40 C2
Roads of Colorado - 72 C1
Lakewood Gulch area
Aliases - Sanchez Park, Barnum Park
Description - Lakewood Gulch is definitely not as good a greenbelt as Bear Creek or the High Line Canal, as it tends to be somewhat spotty, but there are definitely some nice patches, mostly to the west of Sanchez Park. Nearby Barnum Park has a rather unimpressive pond. The mature trees on the hill to the west of it, including a fair number of evergreens, are probably a better reason to come here.
Habitat - Park, Lowland Riparian, Pond
Directions - From I-70 west of I-25 in Denver, take the Sheridan Boulevard exit (#271). Follow Sheridan south to 10th Avenue and turn left (east). The Greenbelt parallels 10th on the north for the next three quarters of a mile, but access is difficult because of private houses. For best access, turn north on Osceola or Knox. The latter accesses the Sanchez Park area of the gulch.
Delorme - 40 C2
Roads of Colorado - 72 C2
Bluff Lake Nature Center
Description - This wide spot in the Sand Creek Greenbelt is definitely one of the best birding areas in Denver. The decent-sized pond hosts the best cattail marsh in Denver, bar none--expect rails and maybe even bitterns. Snowy Egret is regular in migration. The riparian grove here is also one of the best in Denver, and has hosted vagrant warblers. Eastern Kingbird may breed in the area. The Sand Creek Greenbelt to the west stays in Denver County for a good ways, but the habitat along this stretch is pretty mediocre.
URL - Bluff Lake Nature Center
Habitat - Pond, Marsh, Lowland Riparian, Stream
Directions - From I-70 east of I-25 in northeast Denver, take the Havana exit (#280). Follow Havana south about a half mile until it crosses the river and bends left (east). The Bluff Lake parking lot is on the left just after the bend.
Delorme - 40 B3
Roads of Colorado - 73 E1
City Park
Aliases - Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Duck Lake
Description - One of the largest parks in Denver, City Park can also be one of the best for birding. It is home to both the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Large stretches of it are relatively bare, but other parts have mature shade trees worth checking for migrants. City Park Lake and Duck Lake are good-sized bodies of water in the park. Duck Lake, which borders the south end of the zoo, has a nature trail around it and an island in the middle that hosts breeding colonies of Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron. Wood Ducks are a good bet here too. Note that although the park is open from 5 AM to 11 PM daily, the gates that allow cars to enter are closed Sundays from May through September and occasionally during special events.
Habitat - Urban/Suburban, Pond
Directions - Take Colorado north from US-287 in the middle of Denver, and go 2 blocks to the intersection with 17th Ave. This is the SE corner of the City Park. The park is then bordered on the east by Colorado, on the north by 23rd Ave, the south by 17th Ave, and the west by York St. The park itself can be accessed from parking lots off these roads, or from the myriad of small roads into the park.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D1
Cheesman Park and Denver Botanic Gardens
Aliases - Denver Botanic Gardens
Description - Cheesman Park has enough large trees that it has been jokingly called the "Denver National Forest." Mind you, it's not much of a forest, and the place has no underbrush, but it should still be a prime stop for urban treetop migrants and those who seek them. Thanks to the high concentration of spruces here, winter finch enthusiasts should mark this park on their maps as well.
Just east of the park are the Denver Botanic Gardens. Aside from the remarkable botanical exhibits here, which are worth the price of admission, visitors will sometimes find interesting birds. Mountain Chickadee and Western Scrub-Jay have both been found wandering around the place, but neither should be expected.
Habitat - Park
Directions - To reach Cheesman Park, take Colorado Blvd south from US-287 in the middle of Denver for 7 blocks to 8th Ave, and take a right (west). Follow 8th over York, to Williams St. Take a right across from Williams St. to enter the park. The Botanic Gardens are adjacent to the park, and can be reached by taking 8th west from Colorado to Josephine St, and taking a right. The gardens are on your left shortly.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2
Washington Park
Aliases - Smith Lake, Grasmere Lake
Description - This is one of Denver's largest, oldest and most popular parks. It contains two ponds, Smith Lake and Grasmere Lake, which can be good but are often busy with rented paddleboats. The park has some excellent stands of mature trees, particularly on its north end, which is very much worth checking especially in migration.
Habitat - Park, Pond
Directions - To get to Washington Park, take the University exit off of I-25 and head north on University for a short distance to Louisiana Ave, and take a left. To access the east side of the park, take Louisiana west to Gilpin Ave, and take a right. Head north on Gilpin for one block, take a left on Arizona, and go one block to Franklin. Franklin goes north along the east side of the park. For the west side of the park, take Louisiana west to Downing St, and take a right. Downing goes along the west side of the park.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2
Fairmount Cemetery
Description - This large cemetery is one of the best in the metro area, recalling Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins. While this location is rarely birded, it has the potential to yield many migrants. Many of the trees are not trimmed close to the ground, unlike those in most cemeteries in Colorado, which increases the potential for skulkers and other ground-dwelling species. A minima Cackling Goose was seen here one winter, so don't limit yourself to looking at landbirds!
Habitat - Cemetery
Directions - From I-25, take the Colorado exit and head north till you reach Alameda. Head east on Alameda about a mile and a half to the entrance for the cemetery, on the right.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2
Cherry Creek Greenbelt
Description - While this greenbelt is truly puny compared to the Bear Creek Greenbelt, there are a few good sections, especially where Alameda hits the greenbelt, or the section in Glendale (which is actually in Arapahoe County), and where the trail hits the High Line Canal (q.v.). Between these sections, the trees are sparse, and probably not worth birding. In the better sections of the greenbelt be sure to look for migrants, riparian breeders, and sparrows in the brushy areas. Black-crowned Night-Heron is a good bet along the stream in open areas.
Habitat - Stream, Lowland Riparian, Urban/Suburban
Directions - The greenbelt is paralleled for almost it's entire length by Cherry Creek Dr, which can be accessed from the north by taking Alameda east from the interstate to where it dead ends at Cherry Creek Dr. The road crosses Cherry Creek a number of times, and a good map is recommended when searching this area. There are numerous parking areas and access points onto the greenbelt off the Cherry Creek Dr. On the south end, the best access is by taking Alameda to Monaco, and heading south to where Monaco crosses Cherry Creek. The best habitat is downstream (towards downtown) from here.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2-E2
High Line Canal (Denver Section)
Aliases - Sunfish Lake, Bible Park, Hutchinson Park, Eisenhower Park, Wellshire Golf Course, Skeel Reservoir
Description - The High Line Canal is often dry these days, but it is still worth visiting. The semi-retired watercourse is now the route of a public bike trail that passes through many of Denver County's better birding areas. Due to its twisty route and the illogical boundaries of Denver, the canal jumps in and out of Denver County many times between Havana and Hampden, and those who really care about their county lists should arm themselves with a detailed map of the city before setting out. Others can settle for the knowledge that all the sections of the trail mentioned in this description are inside Denver County.
The mile-and-a-half stretch of the High Line Canal west of Havana and east of Valentia may be the best birding area along the canal in Denver. Large cottonwoods line this stretch almost continuously, supplemented by adjacent tall trees in many yards, and there are good undergrowth tangles in some places. Southeast of the trail's junction with Valentia is a good natural area, which is not open to the public but can be partially birded from the trail side of the fence. Sunfish Lake is reputed to be inside the enclosure, but you can't see it from the road. Just west of Valentia, the canal trail adjoins Fairmount Cemetery (q.v.).
Heading west, the next noteworthy part of the canal is near its junction with the Cherry Creek Greenbelt. The area around the confluence of the creek and the canal is quite good, with several informal footpaths through riparian forest on both sides of Cherry Creek. Bushtit has been seen here as well as flocks of migrant landbirds.
Bible Park, just south of Yale and east of Monaco, has some nice large cottonwoods and an interesting birding area near its south end, along the ditch that crosses Dartmouth. The area south of Dartmouth (which is technically part of Hutchinson Park) has fewer large trees, but a great deal of low dense riparian willow brush, which is probably the best collection of this habitat in Denver. Don't expect breeding MacGillivray's Warbler, but you might find a migrating one.
West of Bible Park, the canal trail runs through pretty decent stuff all the way down to and including Eisenhower Park and the adjacent public Wellshire Golf Course, where the trail skirts Skeel Reservoir and some deciduous tangles. South of Hampden, the canal trail leaves Denver County for good.
URL - High Line Canal (Denver Section)
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Urban/Suburban, Park/Cemetery
Directions - To get to Exposition Park, the east end of the canal trail in Denver County, take the Hampden exit off of I-25 and follow Hampden east as it curves to the north and becomes Havana. Follow Havana north for a little over 3 miles, past Mississippi, to Exposition Ave. Take a right on Exposition and look for the parking lot on the left, in less than a half-mile.
To reach Bible Park, take the Yale exit off of I-25 and go east a little over a half-mile, over Monaco, and look for the parking lot on the right.
To get to Eisenhower Park, on the west end of the canal in Denver County, take the Hampden exit off of I-25 and go west for a little under a mile to Colorado, and take a right. Go north three blocks to Dartmouth, and take a right. Park along Dartmouth to access the park to the south.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2-E2
Marston Reservoir
Description - Of all the great metro area reservoirs, this is the only one that falls within Denver County. Marston Reservoir is an essential stop for any Denver County lister, not to mention anyone looking for waterbirds in the metro area during the colder months. The main draw here is the large rafts of ducks that gather here during the fall and winter, often including rarities such as all three species of scoter, or Barrow's Goldeneye. This location is possibly the best in the state to find Greater Scaup, especially during March, when the large rafts of Scaup here usually have at least a few Greaters in them. Hooded Merganser can also occur in great numbers during this time of year.
Marston is also a great place to study loons and grebes – it is one of the best places in the state to see multiple Pacific Loons during the fall, and Red-necked Grebe has occurred more that once. While it is not as renowned for gulls, there are often good-sized flocks here during the colder months that can include Thayer's, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed, and maybe even rarer species. Finally, when the reservoir is low enough there are a few mudflats, especially on the southern end, which have the best shorebird potential in the county.
Habitat - Reservoir
Directions - For the south side, from Wadsworth and Bowles, travel north on Wadsworth to Belleview, and take a right. Follow Belleview for a short distance and take your first left onto S. Balsam St. Follow this road as it curves around and becomes W. Grand Ave. Follow Grand as it curves to the north and parallels the SE shore. Scan from any openings where you can see the reservoir. The best one is usually where Grand approaches the reservoir most closely, near the north end of the road.
To reach the north end of the reservoir, take Wadsworth north to Quincy, and take a right on Quincy. Follow Quincy west to Sheridan Blvd and take a right. Head south on Sheridan to a "T" with Bow Mar Dr, and take a right onto Bow Mar. This road parallels the north side of the reservoir and provides good vantage points for scanning.
Delorme - 40 D2
Roads of Colorado - 72 C2
Bear Creek Greenbelt (Denver section)
Description - Along with Bluff Lake, this location makes up the best riparian habitat in Denver County. While this area is surely great during the summer for riparian breeders which can be hard to get elsewhere in the county, the true draw to this location is its migrant potential. The greenbelt is reminiscent of its northern relative, the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt. Be sure to look in the occasional small pond for ducks, the small cattail marshes for rails, and in the brushy field edges for sparrows. Eastern Screech-Owl is a good possibility in the areas with thicker trees. Also listen for species such as Bushtit and Lesser Goldfinch, both hard to get in Denver County, but both possible here. Given how long and linear this location is, and the presence of a great bike path, the best way to bird this place is on a bicycle.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Urban/Suburban
Directions - The eastern portions of the greenbelt in Denver County can be accessed from the south, by taking Hampden to Sheridan, and heading south on Sheridan. Take your first left after getting onto Sheridan onto Kenyon Ave. There are a couple of parking lots on the north side of Kenyon Ave that access some brushy fields and small marshes. The northern part of this area of the greenbelt can be accessed by taking Sheridan north from Hampden, and taking your first right onto Dartmouth. Follow Dartmouth east to your sixth right, and head south on Raleigh St. Take Raleigh St, under Hampden to a dead end near in a parking lot on the greenbelt.
The western portion of the greenbelt in Denver County can be accessed by taking a left onto Dartmouth from Sheridan instead of a right. Dartmouth parallels the greenbelt for a long ways, and there are a number of parking lots on the south side of Dartmouth. Along this stretch, Denver County extends west to Wadsworth Boulevard.
Delorme - 40 C2
Roads of Colorado - 72 C2
Harvey Park area
Aliases - Ward Reservoir No. 5, Garfield Lake, Huston Lake
Description - The small pond in Harvey Park has a few bushes and cattails around it. The adjacent Ward Reservoir No. 5 is private and fenced, but you can scan it by parking in the park and walking up to look through the chain-link fence. Together, these two bodies of water are a place to look for ducks and other waterbirds, especially in the colder months.
North and east of here are a couple other small lakes that may be worth checking. Garfield Lake has the ethos of a golf-course pond. A willow-covered island inhabits it. Much more interesting is Huston Lake, one of the more productive small lakes in Denver. Pied-billed Grebe apparently breeds in some of the small cattail beds around the edge of this lake, and waterbirds can congregate here in numbers in migration.
Habitat - Pond
Directions - To get to Ward Reservoir and Harvey Park, take Hampden Ave to Sheridan Blvd, and head north on Sheridan. Go north for almost 2 miles to Evans Ave, and take a right. If you reach Jewell Ave, you've gone too far. Take Evans west for a little under a half-mile to Raleigh St, and take a right. Harvey Park is on your left, and Ward Reservoir is on your right.
To reach Garfield Lake, take Sheridan north from Hampden for three miles to Mississippi Ave, and take a right. Drive west for three-quarters of a mile to the parking lot, on the right. To reach Huston Lake, take Mississippi past Garfield Lake to Federal Blvd and take a left on Federal. Head north on Federal for three blocks to Ohio Ave and take a right. Huston Lake will be on your right in about half a mile.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 72 C2, 73 D2
South Platte Greenbelt (Denver section)
Aliases - Ruby Hill Park, Overland Lake Park, Vanderbilt Park, Platte River Drive
Description - Anchoring the southern end of the South Platte Greenbelt in Denver is Ruby Hill Park, which is not the best for birds, having mostly only scattered shade trees. Just across the river to the northeast is Overland Lake Park, which has a couple of ponds and some lowland riparian habitat. Another half-mile north is Vanderbilt Park, arguably the best of these three, where a thin but dense layer of riparian forest surrounds an isolated pond. Some good warbler might show up here someday.
The southern half of the Denver portion of this greenbelt is accompanied on the west by Platte River Drive, which is by turns sleepy and busy. Its sleepy sections can provide good car access to various stretches of riparian habitat, a fact that will be of particular interest to winter birders looking for ducks along the river. Among others, Barrow's Goldeneye has wintered just north of Alameda.
North of Colfax, the South Platte Greenbelt is best left unvisited by birders.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Pond, Park, Stream
Directions - From I-25 just south of downtown Denver, head south on Santa Fe Drive (US 85) between exits 207 and 208. To get to Vanderbilt Park, take your first right onto Mississippi, then another right on Huron. To get to Overland Lake and Ruby Hill Parks, stay on Santa Fe/85 another few blocks and turn right on Florida. Overland Lake Park will be on your right shortly. If you continue past it across the river, you will see Ruby Hill Park ahead on your left.
Delorme - 40 C3
Roads of Colorado - 73 D2