Winter Raptors & Wildlife Weekend at Southern Plains Land Trust

There’s something undeniably wild about winter on Colorado’s southeastern plains. Wide-open skies stretch over golden grasses, and sharp-eyed raptors perch vigilantly on fence posts, utility poles, and prairie knolls. Join Reefs to Rockies and the Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) for a winter wildlife safari into the windswept grasslands of Bent County, where the interplay between predator and prey is on full display.

This weekend trip highlights Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve—43,000 acres of pristine shortgrass prairie actively rewilded to support native wildlife. We’ll explore one of the most intact and remote regions of southeastern Colorado in the heart of winter, when golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, and other predatory birds converge on the region’s robust prairie dog colonies. Often misunderstood, prairie dogs are a keystone species critical to the health of grassland ecosystems. They shape the very structure of this landscape—supporting not only raptors, but also pronghorn, badgers, coyotes, and even the soil itself.

Our Roaming Bison American safari van offers comfortable seating and a pop-top for panoramic windows. This one-of-a-kind vehicle, custom-designed by two wildlife biologists, functions like a rolling blind—ideal for viewing wide-ranging wildlife without disturbing the natural rhythms of the landscape.

This trip is more than a checklist of winter raptors. We’ll take the time to observe behaviors—watching ferruginous hawks kite overhead or golden eagles interact with prairie dog towns. We’ll scan for American kestrels, merlins, prairie falcons, bald eagles, and the occasional great horned owl. Northern harriers cruise low over the grasses, while shrikes—the songbirds that want to be raptors—wait in ambush from nearby perches. We should also encounter pronghorn, bison, and if we’re lucky, badgers.

Come experience how the rewilding efforts of the Southern Plains Land Trust are restoring balance and biodiversity to these storied grasslands.

ABOUT YOUR EXPEDITION LEADER

Sheridan Samano, Reefs to Rockies co-founder and lead biologist guide, has spent her career connecting people with the natural world. A Colorado resident, Sheridan is especially excited to share her favorite winter raptors in one of her favorite corners of the state. With years of experience guiding in wild landscapes around the world, Sheridan brings deep expertise, sharp eyes, and contagious enthusiasm to this winter safari experience. Her knowledge of the birds and ecosystems of southeastern Colorado will help bring this dramatic landscape to life.

Conservation Impact: The Southern Plains Land Trust, 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.

 

ITINERARY

Day 1 (Fri, Jan 9): Arrival and Welcome Dinner ~ Participants should arrive at the Historic Cow Palace Inn in Lamar, Colorado, by 6:00 pm. After check-in, we’ll gather for a welcome dinner and weekend overview with your expedition leader, Sheridan Samano. This is a chance to meet fellow travelers, ask questions, and get excited for the raptor-rich adventure ahead.

Accommodations: Historic Cow Palace Inn

Meals: Dinner

Day 2 (Sat, Jan 10): Heartland Ranch Safari ~ After breakfast, we’ll spend the day exploring Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve and surrounding areas. Where we go today will depend on recent sightings, weather, and other factors. Our focus will be on locating and observing winter raptors in action—ferruginous hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles, red-tailed and rough-legged hawks, prairie falcons, kestrels, and more. We’ll keep an eye out for shrikes, and may also spot other prairie icons like bison, pronghorn, mule deer, and badgers. We’ll take time to observe behavior, interactions, and the broader ecological relationships that make these grasslands so dynamic in winter.

Accommodations: Historic Cow Palace Inn

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3 (Sun, Jan 11): Final Wildlife Drive and Departures ~ Our last morning includes a half-day safari before we wrap up with lunch back in Lamar. We’ll make the most of our final time together, revisiting hotspots or exploring new areas based on the group’s interest and any updates from the field. Expect more time with raptors, prairie dogs, and sweeping prairie vistas before parting ways in the early afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

 

DETAILS

Price: $1495* per person based on two people sharing double occupancy accommodations. Add $135** if you prefer private, single occupancy accommodations.

Inclusions: accommodations, Expedition Leader (driver/guide Sheridan Samano), transportation in custom 4WD safari van from Lamar meeting point, daily guided wildlife viewing with spotting scope available, special access fees at SPLT, and meals as listed.

Exclusions: transportation to/from the meeting point (Lamar, Colorado – If you live in the Denver Metro area and would like to ride with Sheridan to and from Lamar, that’s possible.), one dinner, 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 who 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 5; Max 7 participants + Sheridan Samano. We are known for smaller group sizes with a better guide-to-guest ratio than most companies offering similar itineraries. This trip starts and ends at the Historic Cow Palace Inn in Lamar, Colorado.

Level of Difficulty—Easy: This trip primarily involves short walks on mostly level gravel roads, paths, or open prairie terrain. Conditions may be windy or chilly, but walks will be under one mile with daily totals no more than three miles. Blankets will be provided in the safari van for added comfort. All outings are at a leisurely pace with ample time for observation.

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.

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!