Bighorn sheep cross the road at Sheep Lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado’s state animal is the bighorn sheep, and one of the more reliable places to see them is Sheep Lakes, in the Horseshoe Park area of Rocky Mountain National Park, on the Larimer County side. The name fits: bighorn come down from the surrounding slopes to the flats near the lakes to lick mud that is rich in minerals they need.

To reach that mud, the sheep often have to cross the park road. The park manages a marked crossing zone there, and during the times sheep are moving, staff and signs help traffic give them space so they can cross safely. If you stop to watch, the ask is the same as for other large wildlife: stay back at least 75 feet, do not crowd the animals, and never feed them. Stress and human food are bad for them, and a startled bighorn can bolt into the road.

This is a calm kind of wildlife watching, often from your car or a nearby pullout, and mornings are a good bet. It overlaps with the fall elk season, so parking nearby can fill quickly.

For the best times to look, the crossing-zone rules, and viewing distances, see the National Park Service bighorn sheep and Sheep Lakes pages for Rocky Mountain National Park.