See What Comes Alive After Dark in Western Colorado

Nightlife in Western Colorado means one thing inside your favorite watering hole, but it means something totally different if you are outside. Late-night hours are alive with motion; you just need to know where and when to look.

Western Colorado’s nocturnal wildlife includes a cast of characters, often starring foxes, owls, and bats. From river corridors around Grand Junction to the hills outside of Montrose, these creatures are putting on a show at night that hardly anybody gets to see.

Western Colorado’s Nighttime Cast

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On the hiking trails between Grand Junction and Montrose, Western Colorado’s nocturnal wildlife thrives within a combination of canyon country, open desert, and river habitat. We’re talking owls, kit foxes, big-eared bats, coyotes, raccoons, and even badgers, all doing their part to make sure the Western Slope never really sleeps.

The Watchful Great Horned Owl

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Chances are, you’ll hear a great horned owl before you ever see one. Listen for the unmistakable low, resonant “hoo-hoo” from the canyon rims. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the great horned owl can thrive in the Colorado forests or on the edge of the desert.

Specialized feathers muffle sound, allowing this fella to swoop in undetected. Look for the great horned owl in tall cottonwoods or junipers nearest the Colorado River. Watch for their silhouette against the twilight.

The Secretive Kit Fox of the Sage-Desert

You need to keep a sharp eye out to see them, but the kit fox is all over the Grand Valley. Once the sun sets, it heads for the sage flats to pick off some rodents. In Colorado, this animal is considered endangered.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says that in Delta and Montrose counties, kit foxes are observed to build dens with multiple entrances. Sometimes the easiest way to see them is to drive a back road near shrubland after the sun goes down. The glint of fox eyes at night becomes easier to see each time.

Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat — Ears on the Wind

It's rare to see a Townsend’s big-eared bat long enough to take a photo, but they are right at home on the Western Slope. This bat loves pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, and arid desert scrub. According to Parks and Wildlife, its ears are all business.

BLM says they like to get inside the caves and old mines around Mesa County. At dusk, they feed on moths and beetles in midair near water sources or valley orchards. Watching bats means staying still and quiet. Good luck.

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