Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: wildlife (39) drive (35) bison (20) prairie (20) deer (16) area (16) dogs (15) mile (14) free (14) great (13)
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  • 5/5 Jeremy J. 1 year ago on Google
    Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a gem that is so close to Denver. You can find Bison, white tail deer, mule deer, bald eagles, foxes, and more here. It’s a beautiful place to visit especially if you want to see tons of wildlife without ever leaving your car. The ten mile wildlife drive is a must if you are visiting the park and it’s one of the few places you can get some amazing shots of the city and the wildlife at the same time! This is a great option for visitors if you have young or older guests that can’t hike around much! There are some small lakes that are very tranquil to visit, and they’re even more spectacular at sunrise and sunset. A couple of years ago when we had the Cameron Peak Fire, I shot some pictures of the smoke coming in over the city from RMNWA and sold $4000 worth of prints which was all donated (and matched by Denver7) to help with local firefighter relief efforts, so this park will always hold a special place in my heart!
    40 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marie M. 2 years ago on Google
    I frequently visit this place because I love the 9-mile drive through two bison enclosures. The drive is so peaceful and relaxing, it's unbelievable that it's free. I hadn't been inside the gift shop in a long while but decided to visit it Sep 30, 2021 and again yesterday. I was so surprised and delighted at all the renovations and updates to the interior of the building. I added pictures of the beautiful colors I saw on the drive in September. I added more pictures from yesterday's visit. The sign posted in the Visitor Center says Office Hours were 9am - 4pm Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Monday & Tuesday). Refuge Hours are Sunrise to Sunset daily (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day).
    23 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bernard J. 5 months ago on Google • 608 reviews
    Very cool spot. There’s multiple hiking trails (all pretty easy and flat) with awesome views and it was very quiet and serene overall. The wildlife drive was awesome to see some bison up close and personal as well! A must see experience, and all for free!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sari 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful trip for the whole family and our dog. Although you can’t take your dog outside, even not on the leash, it’s nice for them look outside of the window while driving the loop and watch the bison. Wonderful place and landscape! And east going, good streets around the park. Very peaceful and fantastic views. Also very clean, nice rest rooms too. Places to have a snack outside. We will come back in Spring.
    22 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Preet S. 2 years ago on Google
    Pictures can't do this place justice. It's a bit hard to find the entrance but enter on the Gateway side near the new stadium. You can get out a few of the early stops but not the middle few miles. The park has hikes, bike and foot trails and the driving trail which allows you to go through the entire park via a 11 mile route. All of it is paved and you're restricted to 30MPH. It's an amazing way to drive to see the closest deer and Bison you see next to the roadway. Phenomenal views and scenery. It takes a out 1.5 hrs if you stop every mile to take pictures and observe the wildlife. Be responsible and respectful by following the rules and keeping this place the gem that it is.
    19 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cayl L. 1 year ago on Google
    I almost don't want to leave a review because this is such a hidden treasure and I don't want the unwashed masses screwing it up by disturbing the animals. This is the absolute best attraction in the Denver area. So many animals, bison, ferrets, several types of deer, prairie dogs are all easily seen with no effort. Just stay in your car, follow all the rules and don't bother the animals and you will have a nice time. There is an audio tour you can sync up to listen to while you drive through the park. Visitor center is nice, has cool souvenirs, but is only open Wed-Sun from 9a-4p as of this review.
    14 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Clinton D. 6 months ago on Google • 106 reviews
    Beautiful place to see in Colorado! You can drive or hike the trails, miles, and miles of scenery. You can see a variety of different wildlife in the area. Free to get in and parking is free as well. You can also see the mountains in the background on less cloudy days. This is definitely a breath of fresh air, great for families and couples who love the wildlife and outdoors. Open from sun up to sun down. Animals are roaming day and night and you will see some! Bison take a while to get to, they are towards the end of the drive. There's still plenty to see beforehand as well as nice-sized lakes! Would recommend checking this out if you like wildlife.
    8 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 A D. 8 months ago on Google
    Loved it! I will certainly be back. For something that is free it was pretty decent. We did the Lake Ladora loop trail and some of the Lake Mary trail. It was soothing, though not much tree cover. There also could be people reminding others of what isn’t allowed on the trails (some trails allow bikes but not all, etc). Great amount of restrooms. We also drove through the Wildlife 11 mile trail, but unfortunately didn’t see any wildlife. Maybe next time!
    10 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chuck B. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a hidden gem right here in the middle of Denver! It's a very scenic nature and wildlife preserve which offers an opportunity to see amazing sights - every time we go , we see something different! And it is open year round so check out what you can see in the winter. The best way to see the area is on the 11 mile wildlife tour road, need to stay in your car, you don't want to get hit by a bison! The visitor center is also worth seeing and has several interpretive exhibits, one being about the history of its world war II role in making and storing munitions including nerve gas.
    8 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eric P. 7 months ago on Google
    Incredible experience, highly recommend! It's free, can't beat the price. Drive right through for 30ish minutes but don't sleep on the prairie dogs. I'm at a 50% rate of seeing a full bison herd going through. What an incredible experience. This is an awesome choice if you're picking up friends from the airport and want to do a quick tourist detour. The ferret exhibit is open, definitely worth a check. Can't recommend this place highly enough.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Miss V. 6 months ago on Google • 140 reviews
    I drove through here twice while I was in the area. Once mid-morning and saw a lot of prairie dogs and then once late afternoon and saw a few bison plus prairie dogs. I went in early September but it was hot both days so I suspect the bulk of the wildlife was staying cool in the shade somewhere. The scenery is also worth the drive through even if you see no wildlife. It’s very peaceful.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dan J. 2 years ago on Google
    A great look into the prairie land of eastern Colorado. There are short hikes, lakes, and a 9 mile wildlife driving loop. It’s a great place to see bison as well as other local wildlife. I even saw a badger once rifling through prairie dog burrows. There is an audio tour that can be found online that guides you through the 9 mile loop. If going in the summer, there is not a lot of shade on the hikes but the area around the lakes is very nice. This is a former chemical weapons plant that has been turned into a truly wonderful place!
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 T T. 7 months ago on Google • 188 reviews
    An ok stop. The visitors center is interactive if you like that type of thing to learn. Staff were helpful on the map but from there it’s hard to navigate. Trails are not marked well. Very easy to get “lost” so to speak. Trails are crushed gravel. We had higher hopes for seeing wild life. A few birds on our walk but that’s all. The wild flowers were pretty. The 11 mile drive has a nice podcast to play as you drive. Lots of prairie dogs but that’s all we saw until the herd of bison in the fenced area. Was not wowed as we hoped to be. Area is lots of prairies which does not have lots to look at.

  • 5/5 Merrell W. 1 year ago on Google
    We had no idea this was here after staying at our lackluster hotel near by, we decided to explore! It’s free of charge to check out the trails and hiking. This includes various signage throughout calling out sightseeing topics and really nice museums quality visitor center that explains the origin of the area! We had no idea it was an old military facility. Very cool!
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Penny J. 2 months ago on Google • 141 reviews New
    Nature in all it's beauty. Drive through many protected acres of land where Bison roam free and so close to your windows you could almost touch them. Lots of cute Prairie Dogs roaming around too. I really enjoyed this little adventure!

  • 5/5 Jennifer P. 5 months ago on Google • 50 reviews
    Beautiful place, so many great views and spots to stop and explore. They have a drive through experience that you can stop and see all the different types of animals in their element. I recommend bringing binoculars, if you got them, it really helps maximize your exposure to the animals as they are sometimes quite far away. Saw many deer, different species of birds, and prairie dogs. It’s such a vast area of land that we were getting nervous we weren’t gonna see any Buffalo but we got near the end of the 7 Mile drive and saw dozens of Buffalo huddled up in the fields/near the gate. Worth the visit. If you are able to check out the visitor center as well I highly recommend. Cute lil gift shop and a wonderful deep dive into some history.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Zack H. 1 year ago on Google
    A pretty neat place surrounded by views of the mountains, and big grass plains! There's also several ponds there, which I went there to go fishing in. The water quality definitely seems a little dirty, but the catch and release fishing was pretty good! We caught a couple Northern pike, largemouth bass, and bluegill. We also saw a herd of mule deer grazing in the grass, and they got within 100 feet of us fishing on the pond! It was pretty neat to see the wildlife roaming in the refuge. Overlooking the largest lake, next to the pump house, are two "telescopes" mounted for watching birds and other wildlife, free of charge! We did have to pay a $3 fee to fish there though.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 LeWayne B. 8 months ago on Google
    Hint: Listen to the audio tour on Spotify. It follows along the mile markers on the road and tells you exactly what you're looking for at each mile marker. Drive the posted speed and it matches up exactly. If you ever get ahead or behind, just pause until you get to the next mile marker. Audio tour and entrance were both completely free. Great place to come see wildlife in their natural habitat. Of course, no guarantee on what you'll see, but we were able to see a decent amount of wildlife. Just drive slow and be patient. It wasn't crowded and cars were pretty spaced out. Since everyone wanted to see the wildlife, nobody seemed to be in a rush. Those who wanted to look at the wildlife longer, they simply pulled over to the side so others could go around.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nick B. 2 years ago on Google
    This was a great place to go for a walk / hike. It's more of a walk then any hike but I spent close to two hours just exploring and there were places I didn't get to see. Definitely come here for all the different seasons.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Zoro R. 8 months ago on Google
    As a long time Colorado native, I couldn't believe how beautiful and unexpected this place was! Just a few miles from the main Denver-Metro area, this large and vast wildlife refuge is guaranteed to amaze and fascinate you no matter what time of day you visit. The family and I always assumed the closest Bison to us were in Yellowstone so you can imagine our pleasant surprise when we spotted herds of these beautiful creatures grazing just a few feet from our car! Absolutely stunning scenery wherever you turn your head, plenty of wild animals to marvel at, and a great calming escape from the surrounding city life. Also I highly recommend checking out the history of this place, as it is fascinating in itself to learn about how this refuge got here in the first place.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 P G. 6 months ago on Google • 11 reviews
    Overall must see in Denver. It’s free to get in and there’s even a free audio tour you can play in your car as you drive through the park. Just head the visitor’s center first for information and a map. You can also stop by the ferret exhibit. There’s tons of bison and prairie dogs to see in the park. Sometimes they are far away, but sometimes they also come up very close, just be careful and give them the space and respect they deserve.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 V T. 7 months ago on Google
    WOW! Beautiful & peaceful landscapes. Lots of great wildlife including great herons, dragonflies, deer, prairie dogs, birds & of course, the majestic bison! Definitely listen to the podcast audio guided tour while driving through. Totally worth the price of admission - which is FREE!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Fiercelivingfit 1 year ago on Google
    We love coming here! The buffalo/Bison, dear, geese, bunnies and wildlife are so fun to see just right here in the city. We were lucky enough to get to see a herd up close cross in front of our car and it was just incredible. There are paths to walk near the water and benches to sit and have much. Such a nice place to come that isn’t a far drive!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Elizabeth W. 9 months ago on Google
    This is such a beautiful facility! The resource and visitor center is like a small, interactive museum and the trails are well groomed and easy to find and follow. The wildlife drive was great! We were able to see bison, mule deer, and prairie dogs from the comfort of our car. I absolutely recommend this location to anyone who enjoys nature trails and wildlife!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Karla C. 11 months ago on Google
    Very nice, very interesting and informative visitor center. We walked around 2 lakes and it was a good winter walk. We saw some wildlife including bald eagle, deer, and bison. Took the one way drive and enjoyed the audio description mile by mile. Hiked up Rattlesnake hill and were very pleased with the 360 degree view of mountains, plains, Denver skyline and DIA. I will definitely visit again.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Vanitha G. 2 months ago on Google • 57 reviews New
    Went early Jan 2024 - will definitely plan to go back June-July and may be even in September. Have taken the drive - Really Cool! Not too far from city, actually middle of city to have something like this is soo precious.

  • 5/5 Mulla 2 months ago on Google • 45 reviews New
    Great relaxing drive with plenty of wildlife to see. Good places go pull over and take in the view too. Takes less than an hour if you take your time and enjoy it.

  • 5/5 Lisa O. 11 months ago on Google
    We loved our visit! We went first to the drive thru the wildlife area. We were delighted to see a lot of Bison, a few of which were very close to the road. The prairie dog town was fascinating. We loved watching then pop up from their holes. We saw one deer as well as numerous birds. The Welcome center & gift shop are very nice. The exhibits are informative about both the former arsenal and the wildlife refuge. We will be back as often as we can!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Aliza B. 1 year ago on Google
    We did the wildlife drive here and it took us about 40 minutes to drive the whole loop and listen to the podcast. We unfortunately didn’t see any bison but we did see a ton of prairie dogs. It was very interesting to hear about the history of this place. I would recommend listening to the refuge podcast if you do the auto tour.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 A-yo J. 1 year ago on Google
    I came from Oklahoma, while on my way to California, and my travels brought me to Colorado for a brief stay. Before I left, I did the 11 mile self-guided wildlife drive around the refuge and it was fantastic! The scenery was filled with open prairie and it was cool to see Bison grazing in the fields amidst the backdrop of major city. I'm glad I got to experience the open prairie before I left Colorado.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 D T. 1 year ago on Google
    I come here about once to twice a month. You can do a free wildlife drive around the refuge and see all the animals. It's nice to have the option to go on nature trails or take a scenic drive. The first two times I've been here, I didn't see the bisons. After figuring out their preferred weather, I see them every time. Sometimes they can be real close so be careful.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Danny 1 year ago on Google
    With a few hours left in Denver till my flight back home I didn't want to waste any time sitting around at the airport so I went to check out Rocky Mountain Arsenal a National Wildlife Refuge. It's almost like a wildlife safari where you drive your car through the property with a chance to see some wildlife in their natural habitats. I saw so many Prarie Dogs and hundreds of burrows all over the place. There were several white tailed deer in the feilds that I drove by. The best part was seeing the massive wild Bison as I was just about to leave. As I was heading back towards the entrance a few of them had stopped traffic to cross the road. I was probably within 10 feet of them as I drove by safely in my car. It was a great way to end my trip and check out a few more different animals that I have never seen before in person.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Yutta S. 5 months ago on Google • 12 reviews
    I was there with my son, we want to look at bisons and we get a lot of fun, because we saw a lot of them. Also we met deers, they were going near our car. You can fishing there, but we don’t see that anybody get fish. When you want to see bisons is good place. There also some hike trails.

  • 5/5 Jeff G. 7 months ago on Google
    This is a cool place. This trip we only saw one bison way off but we did see a large buck and so cool birds! It's free and a really cool relaxing drive through!

  • 5/5 christie 7 months ago on Google
    Easy access for a serene scenic drive within Denver; it's a short drive but with great stops to enjoy the lakes/ponds/walking trails, birds, deer, buffalo, prairie dogs this could easily be an extended visit.. it was for me! Worth driving the loop, enjoy!!

  • 5/5 Thomas N. 1 year ago on Google
    Last minute idea to check out area before sunset. This area is huge and so awesome it’s dedicated to nature and the animals! I wished I had planned better to see sunrise as well. Check it out as amazing to these animals near the city!

  • 5/5 Molly R. 1 year ago on Google
    Went here today with my husband and 2 kids (19 and 15). We all really enjoyed it! We listened to the podcast which was informative and helpful. We saw white tailed deer and mule deer, prairie dogs, and bison. One of the highlights of our trip to Colorado!

  • 5/5 Joanna D. 1 year ago on Google
    The visitor center has a lot of interesting information. Took Wildlife Dr for the driving tour and got to see a bit of wildlife. Prairie dogs were on a roll! Lots of bison, but they were too far out to get a good photo. PSA: Don't speed. Lots of prairie dogs zooming across the road. A car passed us, I guess rushing to get to the bison at the end, and nearly ran over a prairie dog in front of us...

  • 4/5 Susana A. 1 year ago on Google
    Drive was peaceful and relaxed. It was just nice to drive and soak in the beautiful scenery and fresh air. Don’t expect to see a lot of wild life. Just sit back and enjoy the ride and view of mountains. And don’t forget to tune into the online narration.

  • 4/5 Roame 9 months ago on Google
    Flat, open area with Bison, Mule deer, white tail deer, black footed weasels, prairie dogs, and many species of birds. Great walking paths on the front side of the park and there is a perimeter trail that is around 14+ miles. Easy hikes/strolls with many opportunities for pictures. Besides the many trails there is a driving only path that circles the park. If you want pictures, good pictures that is, then I suggest a long lens; 200+mm. Oh and it is free.

  • 5/5 Brittany H. 10 months ago on Google
    Wow, the Visitor Center is awesome! It's open Wednesdays through Sundays 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. There's an awesome museum area, a kids discovery room, and a ferret exhibit around the back! There's also people in here who can give you lots of fun information and tell you where to look for all the wildlife on your drive.

  • 5/5 joey a. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to have a cool nature walk or a nice easy drive and see some wildlife. It has a great view of Denver with the mountains behind it too. Makes for a beautiful sunset drive. It's a must see area

  • 5/5 Tammie R. 9 months ago on Google
    If you are in the Denver area, this place is worth a stop. Be sure to stay in your car because the bison can come close. It was amazing to see them so close. The ferret exhibit is cool too.

  • 4/5 Sarah S. 10 months ago on Google
    Beautiful park just outside of Denver. The trails are easy and flat with good signage to figure out where you are going. There’s tons of wildlife to see along the way and the American bison are especially cool! There’s hardly any shade in this park so remember sunscreen and water and go early in the day if you can.


Call +1 303-289-0930 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Activities
    • ✓️ Hiking
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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