(Colorado) Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a sprawling urban oasis 10 miles from downtown Denver.
Once a chemical weapons manufacturing plant, the land is now a national wildlife refuge and home to bison, deer, prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, raptors, and other species.
It is a surprising gem in Denver, and it is free.
The visitor center is a good starting point for your visit. It features wildlife exhibits and informational displays on the site’s fascinating history.
There is a black-footed ferret indoor and outdoor viewing area with two residents near the visitor center.
Black-footed ferret at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife RefugePhoto byAuthor
The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, the animal was feared extinct in the 1970s due to habitat loss and disease.
In 1981, an isolated colony of black-footed ferrets was found in Wyoming. The colony was not thriving in the wild, so the ferrets were captured, and seven were successfully bred.