Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge sits in a glacial bowl at 8,300 feet elevation—the highest refuge outside of Alaska. Here birds migrate seasonally not north and south but up and down the mountains. Visitors are almost certain to see the handsome and fleet-footed pronghorn antelope, moose, and elk. Three species of rosy finch are found here: the brown-capped, black, and gray-crowned. These hardy little birds spend the winter here, then migrate in spring with gray and Steller’s jays, red crossbills, mountain chickadees, and mountain bluebirds to higher elevations to nest. White-tailed prairie dog towns, sometimes shared with Richardson’s ground squirrels, are adjacent to the auto-tour route. Badgers, which can move more earth for their size than any other animal, will stop at the least vibration to dig out prey. Along the Illinois River, look for avocets, sora rails, Wilson’s phalaropes, and black-crowned night herons. Fishing can be excellent for brown trout. White-tailed jackrabbits, which turn all white in winter except for black eartips, present a funny sight as they bound across the wintry meadow like so many black dots bobbing and turning, sometimes followed and scolded by black-billed magpies. In addition to fishing and auto-touring, the refuge is open to hiking and wildlife observation and photography.
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