Wildlife photo ops near Vail, CO

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Wade Abadie

Wade Abadie

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My wife and I are going to Vail at the end of September for some R&R….any recommendations for wildlife photo opportunities within an hour or so? I already plan to go to Mt. Evans on our way in from Denver….but am interested in hearing other options.
 
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Elk in Rocky Mountain NP. Like Mount Evans, the park now has a reservation system as the Elk rut really brings out the crowds. Sometimes you can see Bighorn Sheep along the slopes outside of Georgetown.
 
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Late September is peak color for the aspen. At high elevations you can get an early heavy snow so plan accordingly. We were in Rocky Mountain a few years ago during the first week of October. While scouting I was wearing shorts. The second day with our group there was a big snow at high elevations, and roads were closed for the rest of the week.
 
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EricBowles said:
Late September is peak color for the aspen. At high elevations you can get an early heavy snow so plan accordingly. We were in Rocky Mountain a few years ago during the first week of October. While scouting I was wearing shorts. The second day with our group there was a big snow at high elevations, and roads were closed for the rest of the week.
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I was there the first week of October in 2019 (maybe the same time as you?) and left the day before snow hit. We RV camped at Moraine Park campground. Got lots of good elk pics. Going back next week (too early for the rut, but hopefully we'll still see some elk - and moose and bighorn sheep and.....).
 
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I live in Colorado, and there are some decent areas around Vail for shooting Wildlife. It just depends how far you are willing to travel. In Vail Village, your best bet is to take the gondola up the mountain and walk some of the trails. If you're willing to drive a little bit and get away from all the traffic, i recommend either the Red Cliff area off of State Highway 24, or Trough Road between State Highway 131 and the town of Kremling. Trough Road follows The Colorado River through a rustic canyon. Not sure how effected the area is though from the major forrest fires last summer though.
 
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