Next Hawk Watch Season

Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch
March 1 - May 10, 2026

New and returning volunteers are invite to review the basics in the volunteer toolbox, which are designed to prepare you for a new season of Hawk Watch.

If you are interested in joining us as a first-time volunteer, send along your contact information.

Helpful Videos

2025 - Hawk Watch at Dinosaur Ridge: Community Science at Work - David Hill
Hawks on the Wing: seeing beyond the field marks with flight based identification - Josh Haas
BIRD BOMBS: It's Probably a Red-tail - David Suddjian
BIRD BOMBS: Prairie Hawks - David Suddjian
BIRD BOMBS: Forest Hawks - David Suddjian
2023 - Hawk Watch at Dinosaur Ridge: Community Science at Work - David Hill
2022 Hawk Watch: Looking Back and Forward - Emma Riley

Upcoming Training Sessions

In Person

Sunday, February 22, 2026 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Stewardship Training with Jefferson County Parks & Open Space Go over park regulations, stewardship messaging, role play and other useful information on how to interact with visitors in the parks. Where: Jefferson County Open Space 700 Jefferson County Pkwy Suite 100 Golden, CO 80401 (The main entrance is on the east side, by the flagpole.)
Virtual

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Hawks in Flight: Raptor Identification Skills Presented by Emma Riley, Lead Counter and Project Lead Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch
In Person

Saturday, February 28, 2026 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Morning Site and Volunteer Orientation on site at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk watch site. Park at the Stegosaurus Park and Ride off I-70 near Red Rocks and meet us in the parking lot.
In Person

Saturday, February 28, 2026 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Afternoon Site and Volunteer Orientations on site at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk watch site. Park at the Stegosaurus Park and Ride off I-70 near Red Rocks and meet us in the parking lot.

About Us

Named for its world-renowned fossil beds, Dinosaur Ridge is also a window into the seasonal movement of birds of prey such as hawks, eagles, falcons and more, over Colorado's Front Range. These raptors migrate in the spring along the eastern mountainous edge of the Rockies in part because mountain updrafts enable them to soar and conserve energy during their long journeys north to their breeding grounds.

Full Story
Access to Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch begins at the Stegosaurus parking lot off Interstate 70 and Jefferson County Road 93. The lot is at the southeast corner of Exit 259 from the freeway. Take the trail leading upslope from the southeast corner of the parking lot, (trail markers are located along the trail) then proceed south along Dinosaur Ridge to the ridge top.The trail is approximately 0.6 miles long.