North Park Wildlife Weekend With Front Range Birding & Optics

Collaboration with Front Range Birding &Optics

Summer in Colorado’s High Country brings baby birds, doting parents, and ID challenges in the myriad of available habitats in Clear Creek, Grand, Jackson and Larimer counties. Join Front Range Birding & Optics and Reefs to Rockies in this 3-day trip to North Park in search of colonial waterbirds, sagebrush, and forest birds. Highlights may include piggy-backing grebes and other waterfowl, raptors, sage thrashers, and maybe even greater sage-grouse or moose!

We have strategically selected areas away from crowds so that we have the time and space to truly enjoy these wildlife spectacles in true Reefs to Rockies style. We’ll travel in a custom American safari van with a conversion pop-top and spacious seating. This is not the traditional passenger van you may have traveled in on past trips. This one-of-a-kind vehicle has been specially designed by two wildlife biologists to allow for optimal viewing. It makes a perfect ‘blind’ and there’s ample room for everyone to view at the same time.

About Your Expedition Leader: Chip Clouse is a long-time bird tour leader and Naturalist Guide for Reefs to Rockies. He’s also ProStaff for Opticron Optics and Former Manager of Front Range Birding & Optics.

Originally enamored with tooth and claw predators, his fascination with birds started by volunteering with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to monitor peregrine falcon nest sites. His fascination and love for birds was cemented once he saw his first Western tanager while working for the Peregrine Fund in Oregon. Chip’s experience includes 20 years of bird research and project management experience in nine states and the Caribbean nation of Grenada, a Masters in Conservation Biology from Colorado State University, five years with the American Birding Association, two years as a rep with Novagrade Digiscoping adapters and stints guiding at 15+ different US birding festivals. Chip is excited to share his love of Colorado birds and habitats in this trip to North Park.

Conservation Impact: The Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT), founded in 1998, creates and protects a network of shortgrass prairie preserves, ensuring a future for native flora and fauna. A donation to SPLT to aid in their land acquisition efforts will be made on behalf of all participants.

An American Serengeti Trip

 

ITINERARY

Day 1 (Fri, Aug 1): Denver/Granby/Walden ~ We will arrange a meeting spot in west Denver before continuing up I-70 to US 40 and Berthoud Pass. The rest stop on Berthoud Pass often has high-elevation birds like Canada jay, pine grosbeak and Cassin’s finch. Next stop is  near Granby for waterfowl, American white pelicans and more. We’ll continue on toward the town of Walden with possible stops along the way based on recent sightings and group’s interest. Sunset may yield surprises!

Accommodations: North Park Inn

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2 (Sat, Aug 2): North Park Hotspots ~ A wildlife walk will start our day in North Park. There should be ample opportunities for viewing waterfowl and sagebrush species like sage thrasher, green-tailed towhee, Brewer’s sparrow and more. We’ll continue to area reservoirs where we hope to get lucky with spotting Western grebes with babies in tow (no guarantees in birding!). The town of Walden also harbors some good birds, including roosting common nighthawks, with additional North Park stops dependent on recent sightings and group interest.

Accommodations: North Park Inn

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 3 (Sun, Aug 4): Walden/Cameron Pass/Fort Collins/Denver ~ We’ll start this day with any North Park mop-ups or head straight to the Cameron Pass area to look for montane species including sapsuckers, nuthatches, chickadees, corvids, and sparrows before continuing down Poudre Canyon toward Fortt Collins. Stops in “the Fort” will depend upon recent sightings and timing before continuing back to Denver with a 5:30 pm arrival time planned.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

DETAILS

Price: $1495* per person based on two people sharing double occupancy accommodations. Add $185** if you prefer private, single occupancy accommodations.

Inclusions: accommodations, Expedition Leader (driver/guide Chip Clouse), transportation in custom 4WD safari van from west Denver meeting point, daily guided birding with spotting scope available, entrance fees, and all meals starting with lunch on Day 1 through Lunch on Day 3.

Exclusions: transportation to/from the meeting point, activities not listed, travel insurance, and personal expenses.

*Price is for payment by check. Credit card fees, if applicable will be assessed at time of payment based on card used.

**If you are a solo traveler that prefers to share a double occupancy room, but we can’t find a suitable roommate for you, the private room surcharge will apply.

Group Size: Min 4; Max 7 participants + Chip Clouse. We are known for smaller group sizes with a better birder to guide ratio than most companies offering similar itineraries. This trip starts and ends in the west Denver Metro area – likely RTD’s Jefferson CO Government-Golden Station Park-n-Ride.

A Note About Gratuities – Your trip cost includes gratuities for your guide, as well as at restaurants for included meals. This allows us to reliably and equitably compensate everyone working so hard to keep you happy, healthy, and safe during your trip.

Level of Difficulty: Easy – This trip primarily involves short walks on mostly level gravel roads, paths, sidewalks, or boardwalks. Terrain may be uneven at times, but is not difficult to navigate. Most walks will be under a mile with a total distance of up to three miles on a given day.

A Note About Minimum Group Size: If fewer than the minimum number of participants register, we may still be able to run the trip by adding a group supplement fee per person based on the number of people registered. That fee will be subject to approval by the registered participants.

Reserve Your Spot Now!