When you think of farm animals, which come to mind? Did you say alligators, snakes, and gigantic turtles? No? While most farms house chickens, horses, cows, and sheep, there is one unique ranch in Colorado that boasts one of the strangest collections of animals you have ever seen... and you are going to want to visit:
Located in Mosca near the Great Sand Dunes is the Colorado Gators Reptile Park, whose mission it is to "maintain an integrated ecosystem while providing educational opportunities and viable farm products."
Established in 1987 (after the owners bought 100 baby alligators to clean the waste from their tilapia farm) and opened to the public in 1990, Colorado Gators is home to hundreds of reptiles that range from the aforementioned alligators...
How did the farm grow to have all of these different animals? Shortly after opening in 1990, people with unwanted reptiles began dropping them off at Colorado Gators, leading to the decision to turn the oasis into a full-blown sanctuary.
When you visit the gator farm today, you will have the opportunity to not only see these amazing creatures, but to also hold them, as every guest is given the chance to "meet, pet, hold, and take pictures with a little alligator!"
The Colorado Gators Reptile Park is located at 9162 Ln 9 N. in Mosca and is open every day during the winter (November 5th - February 28th) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Located under an hour from Colorado Springs, The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is a nonprofit sanctuary focused on public education and conservation programs. Tucked in the shadow of rugged mountainsides, it's the full-time home of various animals, including coyotes, foxes, and even wolves!
Though the CWWC is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums today, it began in 1993 when founder Darlene Kobobel adopted a wolf dog named Chinook. Chinook had been scheduled for euthanasia, a fate that Kobobel discovered was all too common for wolf dogs. Her close relationship with this special pet inspired her to create a rescue for others like him.
Before long, calls were inundating Kobobel's nonprofit, motivating her to focus on educational outreach. In the coming years, her goals developed, eventually forming the mission of today's Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center.
I recommend making reservations to ensure you get the best experience at CWWC. Naturally, the top-ticket item is an interactive encounter with the organization's ambassador wolves, but the standard tours are also incredibly worthwhile and informative.
And don't forget the center's other residents! Foxes like Zak, who's pictured below, have earned cult followings online for their adorable antics.
While we may feel deeply for nature in the abstract, there's something incredibly moving about interacting with these charismatic creatures up close. Experiencing their personalities and behaviors firsthand gives new context to the importance of conservation.
Not to mention, whether you're visiting with family or with a group, you're bound to live with a smile on your face.
If you're interested in a wildlife encounter in Colorado, you don't need to wait up by your trash bin at night or hope to bump into a bear on a hiking trail. Visit Divide's Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, a fantastic organization and a vanguard of our state's conservation movement. From humble beginnings, the CWWC developed into a nonprofit that's changed the lives of countless animals, touching many people's hearts in the process.
Of course, the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is just one of many amazing businesses in Colorado that’s doing great things in the state. If you have another business you’d like to see profiled on Only In Colorado, please nominate them for a chance to be featured. And be sure to follow Only In Colorado on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know on the state’s events, restaurants, local businesses, and hidden gems.
A Colorado pumpkin patch is a place everybody loves to visit to pick out the perfect pumpkin. This activity is fun for the whole family and it's an annual tradition for so many people. I know I love these beautiful...sometimes round, sometimes oblong...orange orbs for some reason I can't really explain, and I bet you feel the same way too. If you're looking for the best pumpkin in Colorado (or many pumpkins...), we're here to help. This list will give you some great ideas about where to find the best pumpkin patch near me. Read on and get out there; it's never too early to adorn every inch of your property with pumpkins galore! Go! Now!
Anderson Farms is one of the longest-running pumpkin patches in the state, and it's also the largest. Also, choose from 26 varieties of squash, pumpkins, and gourds here, and enjoy a hayride and 25-acre cornfield maze while you're at it. Not only is this one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado, but it's one of the best pumpkin patches near Boulder.
Enjoy this glorious pumpkin festival on one single weekend each fall! Come and get your pumpkin and celebrate everything autumn at this traditional family outing. This is one of the best Colorado pumpkin patches near me which includes a 10-acre pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and other activities. Read all about it on the Denver Botanic Garden's Chatfield Farms website.
This impressive property has a 100-acre pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, corn mazes, plus tasty desserts like caramel apples. This is one of the best pumpkin patches near Denver. Read all about it on the Rock Creek Farm website.
4. Maize in the City: Thornton (Check for 2024 dates when available)
Located in Thornton, this celebration has pumpkins, corn launchers, five-minute escape rooms, pony rides, sand art, a hay bale maze, face painting, and bouncy bounces. Your whole family will have a blast. Discover more on the Maize in the City website.
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5. Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch: Longmont (Saturdays and Sundays in October)
Enjoy the farm store, carnival rides, bouncy rides, corn maze, pumpkin painting, and great views of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. For further details, visit the Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch website.
Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle has pumpkins galore, a corn maze, pedal go-carts, a barrel train, carnival rides, a corn pit, yard games, face painting, and more, plus an outdoor haunted house on weekend nights.
Pick your own pumpkin; go through the corn maze; pet the fuzzy farm animals, and participate in several other family-fun attractions. Learn more on The Patch website.
8. Miller Farms: Platteville (Labor Day-mid November, 2024)
Miller Farms has been family-owned and operated for generations and today, we can enjoy fall in Colorado on its 180 acres of fields. Enjoy a hayride while learning about farm life and selecting fresh vegetables to take home.
With plenty of pumpkins from which to choose as well as farm animals, hayrides, a straw bale maze, and a corn maze, what could be a more enjoyable way to spend an autumn day than at one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado? Cottonwood Farms offers more information on its website.
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10. Diana's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze: Cañon City (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Sept. 21 - Oct. 31, 2024)
This family-owned and operated business has an eight-acre corn maze and a fantastic pumpkin patch with a wide variety of different kinds of pumpkins from which to choose. Read more on Diana's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze website.
A Colorado pumpkin patch is the best way to celebrate fall. Visit one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado, or visit them all. Buy a pumpkin at every single one. Put them in every room of your house! Pumpkins everywhere! Happy fall, everyone!
Going on a pumpkin-focused road trip? Don't leave these items behind from our Ultimate Road Trip Packing List. And while you're traveling around, consider renting a Vrbo to take in the fall colors in Colorado.
