Driving Highways 13 and 64 puts you in real big-game country

The main paved ways across Rio Blanco County are State Highway 13, which links Meeker toward Rifle and Craig, and State Highway 64, which runs west to Rangely. Both are good roads, and part of their appeal is the wide-open deer and elk country they cross, with little fencing between the pavement and the herds. Seeing big game from the road is one of the pleasures of driving here.

Because the herds are so close to the road, a relaxed, ready pace is part of enjoying the drive. Mule deer and elk are most active at dawn and dusk, exactly when light is low, and fall is the liveliest stretch, when animals move down from the high country and bucks and bulls are on the move. An elk can weigh several hundred pounds, so giving them room is worth it for your own sake, not just the car’s.

The habits that help are simple: slow down at first and last light, watch the roadsides and ditches, remember that where one animal crosses others usually follow, and use high beams when you can. If you do hit an animal, get safely off the road and report it. Add winter weather and the occasional snowy or icy stretch, and an unhurried pace is the one that lets you enjoy the country you came for.

Before a trip, check current road conditions through CDOT and COtrip, and see Colorado Parks and Wildlife for how and when big game is on the move.