Spring on the Prairie: Southeast Colorado
Trip Overview
Spring brings new life to Colorado’s southeastern plains. Across the sweeping shortgrass prairie, newborn bison calves and pronghorn fawns make their first appearances, burrowing owls return to their prairie dog colonies, and grassland birds begin their annual breeding rituals. It’s a remarkable time to explore one of Colorado’s most overlooked wildlife destinations.
Join Reefs to Rockies for a special spring wildlife safari featuring access to two extraordinary conservation landscapes: May Ranch and Southern Plains Land Trust’s Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve. These protected and carefully managed grasslands provide habitat for some of the Great Plains’ most iconic, and increasingly vulnerable, wildlife.
At May Ranch, an Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly working cattle ranch, we’ll explore a landscape where ranching and wildlife conservation go hand in hand. Prairie dog colonies, seasonal wetlands, and expansive native grasslands support an impressive diversity of birds and mammals. One of the weekend’s most anticipated experiences takes place after sunset, when we’ll venture into the prairie for a special nocturnal outing, listening for the elusive Black Rail. More often heard than seen, this secretive marsh bird is one of North America’s most challenging birds to encounter.
Our visit to Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) offers another remarkable perspective on prairie conservation. At Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve, where Mountain Plovers have been documented breeding, we’ll search for these exceptionally well-camouflaged shorebirds along with Burrowing Owls, grassland songbirds, bison, pronghorn, and other prairie residents. We’ll witness firsthand how landscape-scale conservation is helping protect and restore one of North America’s most threatened ecosystems.
Traveling in our custom four-wheel-drive safari van, the Roaming Bison, we’ll explore these expansive landscapes with exceptional wildlife-viewing opportunities. Designed by wildlife biologists, its hydraulic pop-top allows us to observe animals while minimizing disturbance.
This isn’t your typical Colorado weekend getaway. It’s an opportunity to venture off the beaten path to experience the prairie at its most vibrant and discover how working ranches and protected preserves are helping secure a future for the American Serengeti.
Small groups. Special access. Extraordinary wildlife. This is spring on the Colorado prairie, Reefs to Rockies style.
Itinerary
Day 1 | May Ranch: Prairie Wildlife & After Dark
Depart Denver in the morning aboard the Roaming Bison safari van, traveling southeast into Colorado’s expansive shortgrass prairie. Our destination is May Ranch, an award-winning working cattle ranch where thoughtful land stewardship has created exceptional habitat for grassland birds, mammals, and other native wildlife.
Spring is an especially exciting time to explore this landscape. Burrowing owls have returned to their breeding territories, prairie dogs are busy tending their colonies, and horned larks and Western meadowlarks provide a soundtrack to the open prairie. Northern harriers, red-tailed and Swainson’s hawks patrol the grasslands, while the ranch’s diverse habitats offer opportunities to discover an impressive variety of wildlife.
After an afternoon exploring May Ranch, we’ll head to Lamar to check into our hotel and enjoy an early dinner together. But our day isn’t over yet!
After dark, we’ll return to the ranch for a special nocturnal outing, hoping to hear the distinctive calls of the elusive black rail. These secretive marsh birds are notoriously difficult to detect, and hearing one would be a remarkable experience. Under the night sky, we’ll discover an entirely different side of the prairie, listening to the sounds of wildlife that emerge after sunset.
Following our nighttime adventure, we’ll return to Lamar for a well-earned rest.
Accommodations: Historic Cow Palace Inn
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2 | Southern Plains Land Trust: Spring on the American Serengeti
Today, we’ll explore SPLT’s Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve, where large-scale conservation efforts are protecting and restoring the shortgrass prairie and its remarkable wildlife. With special access to this expansive landscape, we’ll spend the day searching for the birds and mammals that make spring on the Southern Great Plains so memorable.
Beyond the wildlife sightings, Heartland Ranch offers an inspiring look at the importance of protecting entire ecosystems. From prairie dog colonies to restored riparian corridors, we’ll see how SPLT’s conservation work supports a remarkable web of life, including beavers and the many species that benefit from their habitat engineering.
With the flexibility to linger over interesting sightings and observe wildlife behavior, today promises an immersive experience in one of Colorado’s most extraordinary and underappreciated wild landscapes.
Accommodations: Historic Cow Palace Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 3 | Spring Migration & Return to Denver
Our final morning offers another opportunity to discover the surprising diversity of southeastern Colorado. May brings a changing cast of migratory birds through the region on an almost daily basis. There’s always the possibility of an unexpected discovery, one of the pleasures of birding during migration.
After a farewell lunch, we’ll begin our journey back to Denver, carrying a new appreciation for the wildlife, wide-open landscapes, and conservation partnerships that make Colorado’s American Serengeti so special.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
About Your Expedition Leader
Carly Crow from Reefs to Rockies is thrilled to host this small‑group wildlife expedition to southeastern Colorado. A passionate birder and field biologist since 2017, Carly specializes in bird banding and field studies. Her work across the U.S. and abroad has deepened her appreciation for avian diversity and prairie ecosystems, and she brings curiosity, discovery, and enthusiasm to every trip she leads.
Details
Price: $1950* per person based on two people sharing double-occupancy accommodation. Add $135** if you prefer private, single occupancy accommodations.
Inclusions: accommodation, Expedition Leader (Carly Crow), transportation in custom 4WD safari van from Denver meeting point, daily guided wildlife viewing with spotting scope available, special access fees, and all meals starting with lunch on Day 1 through Lunch on Day 3. Conservation donations to Audubon Rockies and Southern Plains Land Trust will be made on behalf of all participants.
Exclusions: transportation to/from the meeting point in Denver, activities not listed, travel insurance, gratuities, and personal expenses.
*Price is for payment by ACH. Credit card fees, if applicable, will be assessed at time of payment.
** If you’re traveling solo and would like to share a room, we’ll do our best to match you with a roommate. If we’re unable to find a suitable match, the private room surcharge will apply.
Group Size: Min 5; Max 7 participants + guide. This trip starts and ends in Denver, Colorado.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Ability to climb up and down from a passenger van that is lifted for 4WD (stool provided) is required. This trip involves multiple short daily walks on varied terrain with most walks between 1.5–2.5 miles in length and a total distance of up to 3–5 miles on a given day.
Conservation Impact
This trip directly supports the long-term protection of North America’s grasslands. On behalf of all participants, a donation will be made to both Southern Plains Land Trust and Audubon Rockies, helping advance complementary conservation efforts across the region. Founded in 1998, Southern Plains Land Trust creates and protects a network of shortgrass prairie preserves that secure a future for native prairie wildlife through land acquisition, restoration, and stewardship. Audubon Rockies works to conserve and restore vital grassland and bird habitats, supporting science-based conservation measures that benefit birds, wildlife, and working landscapes alike. Together, these organizations ensure that the landscapes we explore, and the wildlife that depends on them, continue to thrive.
