A big home for wildlife. This is a large natural wildlife refuge of about 15,000 acres (around 61 square kilometers), just northeast of Denver. If you’re driving in from Chicago, you pass it right before reaching the city.

After reading a little about its history, I have to say it’s pretty wow: this land was once a U.S. Army chemical weapons plant during World War II. After it shut down, the area went through a long cleanup, and its natural environment has been restored since the 1980s.

From what I read, this place is a huge home for ground squirrels, but the ones here are a special kind called prairie dogs. They got their name because their warning call is a sharp little bark that sounds like a dog (hence prairie “dog”). They have round, chubby bodies and love digging burrows, building giant underground “towns” together in the grassland.

Pretty much everywhere you drive, you’ll run into the stars of the show. There’s also a scenic drive of about 11 miles where you can stop to watch the animals, but you’re not allowed to get out of your car. Signs mark the section of the Wildlife Drive that’s fenced off as bison habitat, for your own safety, or Mr. Bison might just charge at you!

Besides the Wildlife Drive, there are more than 20 miles of connected hiking trails, bird-watching spots, seasonal fishing areas and a visitor center, and there’s no entrance fee at all. I’d say that’s a great deal.

We drove along slowly, watching the birds and trees, and spotted wildlife along the road, some hiding, some ducking away, which is just how wild animals are. We went in the afternoon when the sun was strong, so the animals kept their distance, and I had to rely on my camera’s zoom to get closer.

It’s a wide, open prairie with the city of Denver in the background, which gives it a whole different feel. So if you’re ever visiting Denver, stop by. It’s not far from the city and it’s free. Just take a relaxed drive with the windows down and enjoy the scenery.

That’s it, time to drive home… bye-bye, bison!