Watching for Grand Mesa Wildlife Near Water Dog Reservoir

Fall colors are coming to Colorado, and the Grand Mesa is getting ready with Color Weekend coming on the final Saturday and Sunday in September.

Today we are headed into an area that is a really nice place to hike to see fall colors and a trail that is also home to frequent wildlife sightings during the right time of day.

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Fall Hikes on the Grand Mesa

If you are looking for the fall colors on the Grand Mesa you want to stay in the Mesa Lakes area. The trails around the lakes explode with color, but you'll also see this happen on the trails located on the opposite side of the highway from Mesa Lakes. Mesa Lakes Trail, Lost Lake, and the Glacier Springs Cutoff are great places to start.

Areas to Watch for Wildlife on the Grand Mesa

After chatting with members of the Forest Service I decided to take their advice and head back to Water Dog Reservoir. Elk, Moose, and other critters like the southern slide of the Mesa, and you never know when they will decide to walk out and get a drink from the reservoirs.

Find Camping and Colorado Off-Road Trails

You'll spot some campsites back along Forest Service Road 254 and 254 1A. This connects with Long Slough Reservoir Road which then goes all the way out past the site of Bull Basin Reservoir #2. Many of the campsites along the way are pretty spacious. I saw lots of campers with multiple tents, an RV, and several people who had their own off-road vehicles parked at their campsites. Scroll on to see more of what is back in this area behind Water Dog Reservoir.