COMMERCE CITY, CO :: Next stop: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge! We started at the visitor center and learned about the site’s fascinating transformation from a WWII chemical weapons facility and later space-program manufacturing site into a massive wildlife refuge after one of the country’s largest environmental cleanup projects.
I was especially excited about the recovery of the once nearly extinct black-footed ferret, which has been reintroduced here. No actual ferret sighting for us, unfortunately, unless you count some suspiciously wiggling bedding.
Then we headed out safari-style, driving the many-mile wildlife loop through the refuge in search of its current residents. We did spot bison in the distance, a few Swainson’s hawks hanging around a big tree, and a few hundred prairie dogs keeping watch over the grasslands. An interesting mix of history, conservation, and wildlife right outside Denver!
