Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve, a Jefferson County open space park at 910 Colorow Rd. above Golden, is a free mountain nature stop about 20 minutes from Denver. The 110-acre preserve has nature trails and a hiker-only connection to the Beaver Brook Trail, and the county runs free naturalist-led programs every season for individuals, families, schools and groups.
Timing matters: the nature center is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Tuesday through Thursday, though the trails are open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset every day. Late-September programs on the county page included a cold-weather hiking basics session on Sept. 25 and a National Public Lands Day volunteer event on Sept. 26. Phone 720-497-7600.
Lesson hooks
- Nature: ponderosa pine ecology, wildlife signs, seasonal change at 7,000-plus feet.
- PE: an easy loop hike with a nature center reward at the end.
More like this: Free Field Trips · Nature · Golden
