Bluff Lake Nature Center’s very own Swainson’s Hawks were featured in Denver Field Ornithologists’ The Lark Bunting newsletter, thanks to an essay and photos from bird volunteer Jason Bidgood.

Learn about the work behind Bluff Lakes Campus Improvements and how we added elements the community asked for.

Bluff Lake Nature Center Launches Public Phase of Capital Campaign for Major Campus Improvements Project. Learn all about these Campus Improvements at a Glance!

Bluff Lake Nature Center was featured with Xcel Energy on CBS News Colorado ahead of Xcel’s annual Day of Service. The piece features Bluff Lake Executive Director Rachel Hutchens and Xcel Energy Regulatory Policy Specialist Jared Luner, who also serves as Bluff Lake’s board president.

What a rainy spring we have had! With thunderstorms rolling in more afternoons than not, the lake continues to be at full and overflowing into Sand Creek. The various filtration systems at Bluff Lake, whether people made, like the outfall, or natural, like the cattails, play a big role in making the stormwater a lot cleaner before it flows into the creek. It’s just one of the ways Bluff Lake shows that people and nature can coexist and thrive!

Have you ever wondered what bats say to one another? How listening to bird songs can tell us the health of an ecosystem? Denver Museum of Nature and Science visited Bluff Lake in May 2023 so we could take a listen…but not using our ears.

Spring is finally making its way through Bluff Lake. The temperature is starting to rise and stay up, and the recent precipitation has helped raise the lake level to capacity. The grassy areas are slowly getting greener, and leaves are beginning to show on the rabbitbrush and willows. With the warmer temps, we are also seeing more wildlife around. The turtles are sunning themselves on logs in the lake, muskrats are swimming around, and a pair of geese and their goslings have made a hang out spot right on the trail (make sure to give them space as the parent geese will hiss at you if you get too close)!

On any given Wednesday afternoon, you can find Tara Peña, junior at DSST: College View High School, muddying up her Converse shoes walking the Bluff Lake property completing her internship assignments. And she loves every second of it.

Bluff Lake was featured in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle's recent article on birding during the winter months, with featured quotes from our resident birding expert and bird walk leader, George Ho, and our Ben Jacques, Outdoor Explorers Program Coordinator, Ben Jacques.

As summer camp comes to a close at Bluff Lake, mornings have started feeling a little cooler at the site. We’ve also been having a little more rain recently after a very dry spring and beginning of summer, and I think all the plants and animals (including the human ones!) are glad for it. The lake is as full as it was at the end of May!

Summer is in full swing at Bluff Lake! The trees are fully leafed out, the wildflowers are blooming, and kids of the animal and human variety are running all over the nature center!

Anali Blue, our land intern, introduces herself and the work she’s doing at Bluff Lake this summer.

Reconnecting to Nature: Sand Creek and Bluff Lake. Highlighting MDNA's Regional Conservation Assessment as a tool for local organizations to advocate for access to nature.

Claire Fontenot completed her Eagle Scout project this June at Bluff Lake. She built an orienteering course on the site of Bluff Lake, with posts and a map for visitors to complete their adventure.

Bluff Lake Nature Center has been named the “STEM Launch PBL Partner of the Year” for the 2021-22 school year, joining organizations like The Denver Zoo, Westminster Water, and Olsson Engineering in being recognized for the innovative teaching methods offered to schools including STEM Launch.

The Popular Scavenger Hunt Gets a Refresh!

What an interesting spring it’s been so far! If you’ve been to Bluff Lake recently you’ll see the grassy areas slowly getting greener, and leaves beginning to show on the rabbitbrush.

Is it winter or spring at Bluff Lake? In the last 10 days, we’ve seen temperatures as low as -3 F and as high as 50 F! We’ve also finally started to get a little more moisture at the site, as shown by our lake level gauge, which continues to climb steadily.

Feeling stuck inside and need some fun ideas on activities to do outside with your friends or family? These ideas below will have you actively involved in the outdoors, even in the Colorado cold and snow!

Site Projects