Welcome the Newest Resident to Grand Junction Colorado’s Riverfront Trail

Please welcome a new kid to the neighborhood. Here's your chance to meet the newest resident of Grand Junction, Colorado's Riverfront Trail.

If you've ever walked the Audubon portion of the Riverfront Trail, you've probably seen people staring upwards at a tree not too far from the trailhead. Well, this is who they're looking at.

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Owl's Nest is a Grand Junction Colorado Landmark

Visit the Riverfront Trail as it sets out from the Safeway shopping center off of Broadway, and you'll spot this nest right off the trail. Everyone stops to look at the nest to see if anyone is home.

This last weekend, Grand Junction residents got a peek at the new baby Great Horned Owl. Bird lovers have known for some time that babies were on the way. Recently, a handful of enthusiasts were able to catch an image or two.

A Little Info About the Great Horned Owl

It's my understanding there are a total of four Great Horned Owl nests along the Audoborn portion of the trail. To date, I've only seen two with my own eyes. According to All About Birds;

With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.

 

How to Find the Nest

Let's use Chow Down Healthy Pet Supplies at 2500 South Broadway as our starting point. You can park right along this portion of the Riverfront Trail. From there, take the trail heading west. You'll pass behind the plaza housing Golden Fights Gym and S.O.A.R. From there, continue heading west on the trail until you pass the Redlands Power and Water facility south of the canal.

The total distance from Chow Down to the tree containing the nest is just over 2,000 feet. In other words, it's not that long of a hike and is well worth the effort.

Shortly after you pass that facility, you'll spot the tree with the owl's nest directly in front of you.

Over the last ten years, I've seen several generations of Great Horned Owls emerge from this nest. It's become somewhat famous. If nothing else, the trail makes for an excellent outing. If you're lucky, you'll spot the trail's newest resident(s).