Rocky Mountain Arsenal: An Urban Wildlife Haven

Rocky Mountain arsenal is a beautiful urban nature preserve just minutes from downtown Denver. While it may not be as picturesque as the mountains, the grasslands are beautiful in their own right. This area offers a glimpse into the historic past coupled with its current status as a haven for multiple species of wildlife.

History
The Arsenal was constructed in 1942 to be used by the US Army to develop chemical weapons. Along with usage during World War II, it was also used during the cold war and had a role in the manufacturing of rocket fuel that would go on to power the Apollo 11 missions. The use and development of all these chemicals through the years led to the grounds of the arsenal to be contaminated.
By 1982 the facilities at the arsenal were closed and a large environmental cleanup was underway to reduce the contamination. It took until 2010 for all of the surface cleanup to finish, however groundwater treatment is ongoing.
As the cleanup was progressing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved into the area to manage the large abundance and variety of wildlife. Shortly after, Congress designated the site a future national wildlife refuge.

Current
Today the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages the over 15,000 acres and the wildlife that calls the refuge home. Speaking of wildlife there are over 300 species that reside in the refuge including bison, eagles, owls, deer and endangered black footed ferrets.
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal is open to the public and accessible via a paved wildlife drive that takes you through the grasslands where you can fish some ponds, hike/bike the numerous trails, or just enjoy the drive keeping an eye out for wildlife

For up to date information on hours and activities go to the Arsenals’ website