U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Rocky Flats 

National Wildlife Refuge 

Trails

This blue goose, designed 

by J.N. “Ding” Darling, is 

the symbol of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System.

Welcome 

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge 

offers expansive views of the Front Range 

of the Rocky Mountains and rolling prairie 

grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. This 

5,237-acre Refuge has been managed by 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 

2007 to restore and preserve the native 

prairie ecosystems, provide habitat for 

migratory and resident wildlife, conserve 

and protect habitat for Preble’s meadow 

jumping mouse, and provide research and 

education opportunities. 

The Refuge is home to 239 migratory 

and resident wildlife species, including 

the prairie falcons, deer, elk, coyotes, 

songbirds, and the federally threatened 

Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Over 

630 species of plants and a variety 

wildflowers bloom here from spring 

through fall. Xeric tallgrass prairie habitat 

is found on the Refuge, one of the largest 

areas of this globally rare ecosystem.

Site History

Native Americans intermittently occupied 

these lands prior to the 1800s. In 1868, 

the Scott family established a homestead 

here to raise cattle. Lindsay Ranch was 

built in the 1940s and today the barn and 

remnants of the house can be seen along 

the Lindsay Ranch trail. In 1951, the U.S. 

Atomic Energy Commission acquired the 

site to develop the Rocky Flats Plant to 

produce plutonium triggers for nuclear 

weapons. The Plant was one of 13 nuclear 

weapon production sites to support 

national defense. Operated from 1952 to 

1989, most of the site was undisturbed, 

preserving the different habitats now 

protected by the Refuge. 

When the site was closed, the 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Department of Energy, and Colorado 

Department of Public Health and 

Environment oversaw the $7 billion 

cleanup of the site that was completed in 

2005. Today, the Department of Energy 

maintains 1,300 acres as a Legacy Site 

to monitor for any outflow from the site. 

Exploring the Refuge

We invite you to enjoy the sights and 

sounds of the Refuge. To help protect 

wildlife and habitats, please keep the 

following rules in mind: 

■ Visitor access is limited to designated 

trails and roads as shown on the map. All 

other areas are closed to visitor access.

■ Observe all posted signs and regulations. 

■ Park only in the designated areas 

shown on the map.

■ Assistance dogs are welcome and must 

be under leash control at all times. All 

other pets are prohibited.

Trails

There are 11 miles of trails open 

year-round for hiking, bicycling, cross 

country skiing, snowshoeing, and 

horseback riding. Refuge trails meander 

through mixed and tallgrass prairie 

grasses. Trail surfaces are crushed gravel 

or dirt.

■ Lindsay Ranch Trail (1.4 mi)

■ Walnut Creek Trail (1.0 mi)

■ Woman Creek Trail (3.0 mi)

■ Rocky Mountain Greenway (4.9 mi)

Wildlife Viewing

■ Best viewing times are at sunrise 

and sunset. 

■ Practice good wildlife viewing ethics by 

observing wildlife from a safe distance. 

■ Quietly observe wildlife.

■ Use binoculars or a camera for close 

up viewing.

■ Avoid standing under perched birds and 

bird nests – this is stressful to hawks, 

owls, and young or nesting birds.

Wildlife to Watch for Along the Way

■ Resident Wildlife – Mule and 

white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, 

prairie dogs, elk, coyotes, black-tailed 

jackrabbit, and porcupines.

■ Migratory Wildlife – Songbirds, 

shorebirds, and Swainson’s hawks.

Accessibility Information

Equal opportunity to participate in and 

benefit from programs and activities 

of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is 

available to all individuals regardless of 

physical or mental ability. Dial 711 for a 

free connection to and from people with 

hearing and speech disabilities. For more 

information or to address accessibility 

needs, please contact Rocky Mountain 

Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge staff at 

303 / 289 0930 or the U.S. Department of 

the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity, 

1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Mailing address: 

6550 Gateway Road

Commerce City, CO 80022-1748

Street address: 

10801 Highway 93

Golden, CO 80402

303 / 289 0930

303 / 289 0579 fax

rockyflats@fws.gov

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/rocky_flats

For State Relay Service: 

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information: 

1 800 / 344 WILD

August 2018
Upper Church L

Lower Church 

Rocky Flats

Lake

Rock Creek 

South Woman C

Walnut Creek 

128

93

72

Department of Energy Legacy Site

Lindsay Ranch

Refuge Entrance

Lindsay Ranch Loop (1.4 mi)

Walnut Creek Loop (1.0 mi) 

Rocky Mountain Greenway (4.9 mi)

Woman Creek Trail (3.0 mi)

To Arvada

0 

0 

Westminster

Superior

Broomeld

Not to Scale

93

128

72

Standley Lake

Rocky Flats Lake

Welton Reservoir (dry)

Great Western Reservoir

Rocky Flats

NWR

Rocky Flats

National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge boundaryHighway / streetTrailStaff road(No visitor access)Lake / creek 

Sensitive wildlife habitat area (closed to visitor access)Department of Energy Legacy Site (closed to visitor access)ParkingRestroom

200