Enjoy 20 mile of easy hiking trails through grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands. Most trails are open year-round. All trails are accessible, except for Rattlesnake Hill Trail and portions of the Prairie and Havana Ponds Trails. Only service animals are allowed. The Refuge does not allow dogs (pets). Please stay on the trail to protect habitat. Trails Map English, Spanish.
Bicycles and Class 1 e-Bikes can cycle on trails south of 64th Avenue (see trail map). Bicycles and Class 1, 2, and 3 e-Bikes can cycle on designated Refuge roads, and on the First Creek and Perimeter Trails. Hiking and biking are not permitted in the bison enclosure areas.
Army Historic Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 0.3 miles
Park behind the Lake Mary Learning Center and take the Locust Loop Trail to reach the Army Historic Trail. This short trail continues through the short grass prairie to the flagpole that once stood in front of Army headquarters. Signs and photos show the site’s past and decades of war-time contributions.
Bluestem Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 1.3 miles
Hike through the mixed and tall grass prairie on this trail that connects with the Southwest Loop Trail and the regional Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail. Watch for deer, raptors, and songbirds. Parking is located at the end of 64th Avenue to the east.
Buckley Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 1.3 miles
Trailhead parking is off the Refuge at 96th Avenue and Chambers Road. This short grass prairie trail connects with Henderson Hill Overlook Trail to the west with great views of the Rocky Mountains, and the Perimeter Trail to the north and south.
Discovery Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 1 mile
The trail starts on the back porch of the Visitor Center. As you begin your hike, stop at the Black-Footed Ferret Exhibit to see this endangered species. Continuing on the trail, you may see bison to the north, as this is one of their many pastures. Remember to stay on the trail and do not approach the bison fence. At the end of the trail, cross Havana Street to connect with Lake Mary Loop Trail and a variety of trails to the southeast to extend your hike. Trailhead parking is at the Visitor Center.
First Creek Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1, 2, and 3 e-Bikes
Length: 1.6 miles
Trailhead parking is off the Refuge at 56th Avenue and Buckley Road. This trail follows First Creek with its large cottonwood trees before continuing on through the short grass prairie to the First Creek Overlook. A bald eagle nest can be seen along this trail, as well as bison seasonally. This trail has seasonal closures to protect wildlife.
Havana Ponds Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 1.4 miles
There are two parking lots for this trail. To access the north side, park at the lot on 64th Avenue on the south side of the road (across the street from Lake Ladora). To access the south side, use the parking lot east of Havana Street near the Refuge boundary. Havana Ponds Trail offers seasonal shore bird viewing at Havana Ponds and this trail connects with the Rocky Mountain Greenway regional trail. Parking for the drop-in archery ranger is on the south side.
Henderson Hill Overlook Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 0.8 miles
Parking is off the Refuge at 96th Avenue and Chambers Road. Henderson Hill was once a natural campsite for nomadic hunter-gatherers. At one time Apache tribes occupied this area and utilized the hill for camping, hunting, and survival. Since then, several Native American tribes once used the hill for the same reason. The trail ends with an overlook of Henderson Hill and a great view of the Rocky Mountains. This trail connects with Buckley Trail and the Perimeter Trail to the east.
Highline Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 0.2 miles
Catch this short trail off the Rocky Mountain Greenway to view wildlife in seasonal ponds.
Lake Ladora Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 1.8 miles
Park at the northwest or south parking lots by the lake to reach the trail. Hike along the water’s edge, cross a boardwalk over the water, and enjoy the mixed grass prairie. Along the way watch for deer, waterfowl, shore birds, raptors, and the occasional fish jumping out of the water.
Lake Mary Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 0.6 miles
This is popular family hike with its long boardwalk and piers over the water. Watch for waterfowl, song birds, deer, raccoons, muskrat, and fish jumping out of the water. The boardwalk is also a great place to watch for water insects like dragonflies and water striders. Park at the Lake Mary Learning Center (formerly the Contact Station), or at the small parking lot at the base of the lake.
Locust Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 0.8 miles
Park behind the Lake Mary Learning Center to hike this trail. At the trailhead you will see the Egli homestead, the last of 180 plus homesteads that were once here before the U.S. Army took over the land. Look for mule deer in the New Mexico locust thickets. You can connect with the Army Historic Trail to learn more about the site’s past and decades of war-time contributions.
Perimeter Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1, 2, and 3 e-Bikes
Length: 14.2 miles
Park at the Visitor Center, off the Refuge on Gateway Road, 56th and Buckley, or 96th Avenue and Chambers to access this perimeter trail. Watch for bison, deer, coyotes, raptors and bald eagles along the way.
Prairie Trail
Open: Year-round - The hiking only portion of the Prairie Trail is north of 64th Avenue to the Lake Mary Loop Trail. Hiking, bicycling, and Class 1 e-Bikes are permitted south of 64th Avenue
Length: 2.2 miles
Park at the Lake Mary Learning Center or the parking lot south of 64th Avenue across the street from Lake Ladora. The Prairie Trail connects with a variety of southern trails including the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail. The wooded areas can be a great place for bird watching and offer shade in the heat of the summer. Watch for mule and white-tailed deer, song birds, raptors, and wildflower blooms in the spring and summer.
Prairie Switchback Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 0.3 miles
Hike through the mixed grass prairie along the switchback trail which connects with the Lake Mary Loop Trail. Park at the Lake Mary Learning Center. The trailhead is next to the kiosk.
Rattlesnake Hill Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking
Length: 0.3 miles
Take Havana Street and go south on Rattlesnake Hill Road to park at the trailhead. At the top of the hill you can see a 360 degree view of the Refuge including stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. As the name indicates, watch for snakes in the summer, they like to gather warmth from the concrete trail.
Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 4.8 miles
This regional trail corridor will link Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge with Two Ponds and Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuges, along with many other protected open space and park lands throughout the Denver metro-area. There are several parking lots for this trail – the Visitor Center, the two parking lots on the south side of 64th Avenue, or off the Refuge at 56th Avenue and Chambers Road. Watch for mule and white-tailed deer, song birds, raptors, and wildflower blooms in the spring and summer.
Rod and Gun Club Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 0.3 miles
Park at the lot on the south side of 64th Avenue across the street from Lower Derby Lake. Hike the paved trail to the Rod and Gun Club ponds to view song birds and seasonal shore bird in the wetlands. This woodland hike offers some much needed shade in the heat of the summer. Continue on to catch the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail or the Prairie Trail. Look for mule and white-tailed deer along the way.
Southwest Loop Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 0.5 miles
This trail is locate between the Bluestem Loop Trail and the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail. Use the parking lot at the end of 64th Avenue or park off the refuge at 56th Avenue and Chambers Road to access the trail.
Upper Derby Trail
Open: April 16 to November 30 to hiking (closed December 1 - April 15)
Length: 0.2 miles
Park at the lot next to the trailhead after mile marker 2 on the west side of the road. Hike the trail to reach Upper Derby Lake and a wildlife viewing blind. This is a great place to spot song birds, seasonal shore birds, raptors, and white-tailed deer. This trail has seasonal closures to protect wildlife.
Uvalda Trail
Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes
Length: 0.5 miles
Park at 56th Avenue and Uvalda Street to access the trail. This mixed grass prairie trail connects to the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail.
