Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in North Park Valley, Colorado.

Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area in North Park Valley consisting of sagebrush uplands, open meadows, willow thickets, and expansive wetland habitats. The landscape sits at elevations ranging from 8100 to 8700 feet and creates a diverse mosaic of environments for wildlife.

The refuge was established in 1967 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide nesting and breeding habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds. Since then it has functioned as a protected space supporting the reproduction and survival of bird species in the region.

The refuge's name comes from the Arapaho, the Native people of the Colorado plains, though the land itself lies in North Park, far from the tribe's historic hunting grounds. Each April Canada geese return to nest, and by late May more than 5,000 ducks may gather; fall migration peaks in late September or early October with up to 8,000 waterfowl. Sora and Virginia rails are numerous but seldom seen.

You can drive the 6-mile Wildlife Auto Tour Route on maintained dirt roads or walk the boardwalk trails that offer close views of the wetlands. Spring and fall are the best times to visit when migratory birds fill the refuge.

The 1,850-foot boardwalk near the refuge headquarters was built over five years by Wildlands Restoration Volunteers and finished in August 2009, using more than 6,000 hours of labor. It follows stretches of the Illinois River where moose are often seen among the willows.