One of the highlights of our trips to Rocky Mountain National Park is spotting wildlife. During our most recent visit, we were lucky to see both bighorn sheep and moose at Sheep Lakes which is located in Horseshoe Park.
sheep lakes
According to the national park’s website, Rocky Mountain National Park is home to approximately 350 bighorn sheep. Sheep Lakes is a great place to see bighorn sheep from May through the middle of August. There is a parking lot where you can safely pull off the road to view the animals who frequent the area. This is not a hiking destination, visitors are required to give the animals plenty of space to make sure both animals and humans stay safe. Many times park rangers will be stationed at the parking lot to direct traffic and answer visitor questions.
The park has a ‘Bighorn Crossing Zone’ in Horseshoe Park during spring and summer months. This means if you are driving, you will need to stop and wait for the sheep to pass.
Bighorn sheep are attracted to Sheep Lakes because it is a natural salt lick that provides the animals with needed minerals.
We spotted the bighorn sheep at Sheep Lakes on the first day that the park opened to visitors after the shutdown for COVID-19. We came back later in the week to see if we could see the sheep again, and were surprised to see a pair of moose instead.
Bull moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and run as fast as 35 miles per hour.
Helpful links and resources
We’ve seen moose on both sides of Rocky Mountain National Park. On the East side of the the park we’ve spotted them at Sheep Lakes, Bierstadt Lake trail, Cub Lake trail, and Sprague Lake. On the West side of Rocky Mountain National Park, we’ve spotted moose in the Kawuneeche Valley and in the East Meadow. I’ve shared posts from all these hikes below. I’ve also included the National Park web pages where I found the moose and sheep facts for this post.
Family Hike to Bierstadt Lake Plus An Unexpected Moose Sighting
Moose Spotting Makes for a Memerable Morning Hike Around Sprague Lake
Peaceful Hike to East Meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park
Cub Lake Trail – a Wildlife Hotspot in Rocky Mountain National Park
Wildlife viewing – National Park service website
Bighorn Sheep – National Park service website
Moose – National Park service website
rocky mountain tot 