Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge Guided Tour

This guided hike will take you through different areas within the park while introducing you to the history, the wildlife and the recreational opportunities offered.

Tour Information
Tour Map
Tour Stops
Comments

Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge Guided Tour

Westminster, Colorado 80021, United States

Created By: Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge

Tour Information

User Note: In the app, you can swipe left to see more photographs for each site. Under Settings, you can toggle to turn off the audio narration.

Wecome to Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge!

Standley Lake is Westminster 's hidden gem. The 3000 acre park offers a place of refuge for people and animals alike. This guided walking tour will introduce you to some of the amenities, sights and wildlife within the park.

In addition to hiking, bicycling, camping, wildlife viewing and other park-based recreational activities, the lake offers visitors numerous opportunities for fishing, paddling and interaction through nature based educational programs. For more information, visit the Standley Lake Nature Center or give us a call!

Phone: (303) 425-1097

Standley Lake Website

Standley Lake Facebook Page


Tour Map

Loading Tour

 

What You'll See on the Tour

The Standley Lake Nature Center is where you will begin your tour. While at the Nature Center, you can view numerous animal displays, historical photos, observation (honey bee) hives, and visit with our live animal ambassadors, Betty the... Read more
 The "Little Free Library" is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to inspire a love of reading, build community, and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. More than 75,000 public book exchange... Read more
In 2002, former Standley Lake Park Ranger, Christopher Romer created and gifted the "Messenger" to celebrate the opening of the Standley Lake Nature Center. This piece was created by creating a mold, pouring the wax, “chasing” the wa... Read more
The Paleo Dig Site was constructed in the Spring of 2019 by Morgan Sierra. This 10’x10’ excavation pit is made up of pine and is filled with several tons of sand, in which fossils have been hidden for children to discover. The shape of ... Read more
The Animal Neighbors interpretive sign was installed during the Summer of 2019 to inform the public of the many creatures that call the surrounding area home. Though Standley Lake is often recognized for the recreational opportunities avail... Read more
 The pollinator garden was constructed in the Spring of 2018 by Standley Lake Park Ranger, Tyler Dunsmore, in partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion who is partially responsible for garden maintenance. Originally, the garden was not enclo... Read more
Hundreds of species of birds make Standley Lake a temporary home throughout the seasons. On any given day, there’s a high chance of seeing or hearing at least one bird of prey. Raptors-or birds of prey- are carnivorous birds whose diet co... Read more
Installing, maintaining, and visiting the parks beehives is a fun and memorable opportunity for park staff and guests to support the bee culture . Honey bees are truly amazing creatures to watch, and the park hives allows you to see day-to-... Read more
 The eagle blind was constructed by an Eagle Scout 2011. It is located roughly ½ mile from the two bald eagle nests barely distinguishable in the distance. Standing just behind the sign facing west, you can see what appears to be a teleph... Read more
10
On a morning after heavy rain or snow, coyote prints can be found in this area. If you return to this trail, you’ll notice the coyotes take the same path day after day. The protected eagle area provides an oasis for a large variety of ani... Read more
Beneath your feet are clues for signs of wildlife that roams the park. After a particularly snowy or rainy day, hit the trails to investigate who was active recently. In this area, coyote tracks are frequently found leading to and from the ... Read more
You’re looking at the largest rookery in Westminster! A rookery is a colony of nesting birds, and depending on the time of year the 60+ nests before you are filled with fishing birds, raising their young. The three cottonwood trees on Bir... Read more
Standley Lake has about 1,100 acres of water and towards the center, it can reach up to 96 feet in depth. Within the third largest reservoir in the Denver Metro area resides 10 different species of fish. These fish include rainbow trout, la... Read more
What better way to experience the great outdoors than camping at your local park! There are 87 camping sites and 6 tipis  with fire pits and picnic tables for you to rent to have a unique and pared-down night under the stars. The park’s ... Read more
Paddling on Standley Lake offers a closer look at the wildlife in the park. The paddle only area sits inside part of the wildlife refuge which currently disallows access by foot. Taking paddle craft into this area allows you to witness wild... Read more
Want to connect to nature and possibly catch dinner, hang out with family, see wildlife large and small? Check out our urban ADA accessible fishing pier located on the north side of the park in our lower Cottontail Campground to experience ... Read more
In addition to being a multi-use recreation area, Standley Lake is also a water-storage facility, and is the drinking water supply for Westminster, Northglenn, and Thornton. With 1,063-acres of surface area, Standley Lake is Westminster’s... Read more
Upon completion, Standley Lake’s earthen dam was reported to be the largest of its kind in the United States, and possibly the second largest in the world. Three million cubic yards of soil had been excavated and moved to create a dam wal... Read more
Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone” species because their colonies create islands of habitat that benefit approximately 150 other species. A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural en... Read more
The dedication ceremony for the new Standley Lake Dam took place on Sept. 7, 1911. A special Colorado and Southern train transported dignitaries, together with several hundred citizens, from Denver’s Union Station to the site. Among them ... Read more
Looking to your left, you will see a small building where park rangers decontaminate (spray) all paddle craft that is used on Standley Lake. Because Standley Lake is the drinking water supply for approximately 300,000 people, protecting the... Read more
Our village consists of six tipis on raised platforms in the traditional semi-circle with each tipi facing east. The Standley Lake tipis are based on the Cheyenne Peoples' preferred type and were custom made by the Colorado Yurt and Tipi C... Read more

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

Download the App

Download the PocketSights Tour Guide mobile app to take this self-guided tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.

iOS Tour Guide Android Tour Guide

 

 

Updates and Corrections

Please send change requests to changerequest@pocketsights.com.