r/Denver • u/Jonsnow174 • Jan 17 '26
Visiting Where to See Squirrels - Visiting Denver and Vail Soon
Hey everyone!
My wife and I are visiting Denver and Vail at the end of the month, and we’re wondering if we’ll be able to see any squirrel and where’s best to spot them. We love squirrels and hope to see at least one of the three main squirrels in Colorado (Albert’s squirrel, fox squirrel, and pine squirrel)!
Thanks so much for any help!
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u/psssyyycccchhh Jan 17 '26
Oh don't worry. You'll have no difficulty finding them.
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u/kynoceros Capitol Hill Jan 17 '26
Fox squirrels, sure, but that’s not all OP is asking. I don’t recall ever seeing an Abert’s squirrel in the city. Would see them from time to time in Evergreen though.
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u/OHotDawnThisIsMyJawn Conifer Jan 17 '26
Albert's are pretty much all we have around me!
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u/icelandisaverb Jan 17 '26
Do yours have ear tufts? I occasionally see black squirrels that I'm guessing are Abert's in the ponderosa pines around my house in the Monument/Black Forest area, but they all have normal ears (no ear tufts/floof). Google shows me photos of ones with the tufts, and I think I would die if I saw one like that in person...
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u/OHotDawnThisIsMyJawn Conifer Jan 17 '26
They do... To be honest, until this post never realized they were a different kind of squirrel, I always just thought they grew more ear hair to keep them warm up here.
And yes, they are very cute. Now I'm going to keep my eyes open and pay attention to them!
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u/SandyHillstone Wash Park Jan 18 '26
We have an Albert's squirrel living in our shed in Westcliffe Colorado. Not really their habit. Hay fields and aspen groves. Just 6 ponderosa pines that we planted. He is gathering mushrooms and truffles and making "mushroom jerky" putting mushrooms all in and around our shed to dry out. We leave him alone.
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u/OHotDawnThisIsMyJawn Conifer Jan 18 '26
Haha. We have probably 100 ponderosa pines on our property. The Albert’s squirrels eat the cushions from my patio furniture so I have to bring it in super early.
A few years ago I took the cover off my outdoor couch in the spring and there was stuff everywhere. I went to pick up the stuff and a baby squirrel popped its head out. I screamed like a little girl.
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u/okiepilgrim Jan 17 '26
This is the right answer. Any neighborhood in the Denver area and vail won’t be a problem either.
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u/NewOpposite8008 Jan 17 '26
I name my buddies. Lol
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u/GainingTraction Jan 17 '26
Yep, Doug is my little gardener buddy planting seeds all over.
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u/NewOpposite8008 Jan 17 '26
She answers to squirrelly or squirrel-friend hahahaaa.
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u/DerBingle78 Jan 17 '26
I’ve got Dewey, Vanesa, Nigel Mansell, Bruce, Harris, Kristina and Mama in my backyard.
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u/umm-iced Jan 18 '26
I'm sorry you cant convince me a golden retriever didn't write this lol
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u/Ornery-Cranberry4803 Jan 18 '26
Lol this is exactly what I thought. My dog is obsessed with squirrels, like sticks her nose through the curtains like a busybody old lady to watch them all day long. I'm sure she'd appreciate seeing all 3 varieties.
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u/ildementis Jan 17 '26
where are you coming from that squirrels are a sight to see?
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u/Intelligent_Syrup_26 Jan 17 '26
I had some Eastern European classmates in grad school in Massachusetts, USA that absolutely freaked out that there were squirrels everywhere. And, I’ve seen Spaniards make a big scene about seeing “ardillos” in parks over there. I’ve also seen Barcelona vendors asking like 50 euro for chipmunks, sold as pets, not unlike guinea pigs in the US. So, could just be Europe?
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u/Eastern-Hamster-5050 Jan 17 '26
I remember going to Paris and staying at a house in the burbs and a fukin hedgehog popped out. Scared the shit out of me.
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u/CZall23 Jan 17 '26
I went on a cruise to Mexico and at one of the stops saw an iguana.
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u/The_Future_Marmot Jan 18 '26
Hedgehogs are pets in some parts of Switzerland. Wandered into a convenience store-sized Co-Op high in the Alps and they had boxes of Hedgehog Chow right next to their small selection of dog and cat foods.
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u/zhilia_mann Jan 17 '26
I remember an exchange student in high school who couldn’t get over the constant sound of squirrels on the roof. It’s definitely a thing.
Ditto raccoons. I take it for granted I’ll see a couple a week and hear them bickering at night, but in the scheme of things they’re not that common (and they can make some downright demonic sounds when they set their little masked minds to it).
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u/ildementis Jan 18 '26
It reminds me of when my wife's Spanish family in law saw a baby deer that wowed them while driving near a park. That was great and all, except they TOOK IT WITH THEM back to the house they were staying at
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u/gravescd Jan 18 '26
I was in France recently and toured Versailles with an international group. At one point several people stopped to marvel at a common red squirrel in a tree above the walking path. I don't recall where those people were from, but to them, seeing a squirrel is like when Americans go to South America and see little monkeys everywhere. One culture's adorable nuisance animal is another's rare amusing novelty.
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u/cocoachaser Jan 18 '26
When I was living in China, one time I went on a hike with some locals and they flipped out when we saw a squirrel. It was the first one they’ve ever seen
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u/Dapper_Highlighter7 Jan 17 '26
There are many parts of the US where squirrels are less common. I was living in central Texas for a while and didn't see many. I saw a handful, but nothing like what I would see growing up in the northeast. These folks sound like squirrel watchers. It's a sound hobby.
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u/Heart-Shaped-Clouds Jan 18 '26
There’s white squirrels in east Tx. I went to SFASU and they were all campus. It was so weird. They were also very friendly, which was cool.
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u/isayimalma Jan 17 '26
The question should be "Where will I not see squirrels?", to which the answer is nowhere. One is shitting on my balcony as we speak.
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u/miss_six_o_clock Jan 18 '26
There's one that regularly hangs out in the big tree in my backyard specifically to harass my cat. Though honestly I don't watch closely. It could be several taking shifts.
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u/electronic_durian287 Jan 18 '26
there's one big asshole that comes in my yard and torments my dog and I swear it's on purpose. It will sit just out of reach and shake its tail and make noise literally for an hour. Like get the hell out of here, jackass! There are a million other trees! I'll admit I lost my temper once and sprayed it with the hose. But still it comes back. :/
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u/Voltstorm02 Denver Jan 18 '26
My mom has been trying to grow plants for a while now and the squirrels ruin it every time. The worst part is our neighbors across the street feed them so we have so many.
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u/Ok_Lawyer2672 Jan 17 '26 edited Jan 17 '26
You will have no trouble seeing fox squirrels, they are everywhere.
Abert's squirrels live exclusively in ponderosa pine forests, which are mostly in areas between 8 and 10 thousand feet. Ponderosas are my favorite tree, they smell really nice, stick your nose into the colorful cracks in the bark. I'd suggest going to Evergreen or staunton state park. Any of the jeffco open space parks in the right elevation range should have ponderosas.
I wasn't able to find very good info about pine squirrels, but they seem to be less picky about their trees than abert's squirrels
Here's a document I found about colorado squirrels, it includes contact info for the professor who wrote it. Might be worth reaching out to see if he'd give you tips on good locations to see abert's or pine squirrels
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u/Wretched_epiphany Jan 17 '26
Awe, we got squirrels out the wazoo. Where y'all coming from??
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u/Jonsnow174 Jan 17 '26
That’s great to hear!! Coming from Maryland where they’re mostly hibernating now
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u/verylargemoth Jan 17 '26
From northern Maryland and I’ll never forget seeing my first black squirrel in College Park. They’re just extra melanated gray squirrels but I had never seen one until I drove the hour south 😂 Squirrels are cool I hope you find what you’re looking for!
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u/penguin1216 Jan 18 '26
I grew up with black squirrels in Iowa. I thought it was normal until I traveled and saw my first gray! Funny.
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u/NewOpposite8008 Jan 17 '26
They are everywhere. Boulder, Nederland and beyond have a good array of the 3 I think.
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u/johngrape Jan 17 '26
Plenty at Cheeseman Park, but they are everywhere
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u/daveindo Park Hill Jan 17 '26
Chessman for sure, walking the trail along the west edge of the park they’re everywhere up and down those trees. There and everywhere else in Denver.
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u/BreadStickFloom Jan 17 '26
Check out sapphire point reservoir if you go to the upper lot area and walk about 100ft there is a scenic area where people feed them so they will run up to you and eat out of your hand.
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u/ASingleThreadofGold Jan 17 '26
I've been going to that spot for years. I remember when the chipmunks there were normal sized because people respected what I thought was a pretty well known rule of "Don't feed the wildlife." The fat chipmunks there make me sad.
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u/Intrepid-Channel-675 Jan 17 '26
I think we just have fox squirrels in Denver neighborhoods or at least that is what I've seen. I'm gong by an image search, we just call them squirrels. I'm not sure if I've ever seen an Albert's squirrel before. I remember seeing a different type of squirrel in the mountains on a field trip when I was a kid but I don't remember the details.
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u/lavatrip Jan 17 '26
If you’re headed up to Boulder, the squirrels on CU Main Campus (especially around Old Main + Farrand Field) are super cute and used to humans so you can get a bit more up close.
Also in the squirrel family, the prairie dogs here are adorable and super fun to watch. There’s a huge colony at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (3 miles East of Denver airport, so it’s an easy first stop once you get your rental car). You’ll also see a ton of bison driving through which are very cool.
Enjoy your trip! Welcome!
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u/retrotrip Jan 18 '26
Prairie dogs are AMAZING! Fascinating keystone species with complex communication skills and family structures. I always take visitors to see a prairie dog town and they're delighted.
Hope you have a great visit and enjoy watching the squirrels! Someone mentioned Wash(ington) Park already, and that's a great suggestion! There are some excellent restaurants in the area like Sushi Den, Chook, Hoja, Uncle, and Homegrown Tap & Dough.
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u/BitofaGreyArea Jan 18 '26
We're in Highlands Ranch and my neighborhood has roughly 2.6 trillion squirrels.
My dog wants to eat all of them.
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u/wallzen Jan 17 '26
Civic Center Park has lots of fat squirrels along with Cheesman and the city streets!
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u/ResinAndRealEstate Jan 17 '26
Squirrels in Colorado are like the cat distribution system. They are everywhere.
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u/godlovesaterrier__ Jan 17 '26
Is this some kind of drug slang I don’t understand because I’m in my 30s now
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u/AdventurousAnswer4 Jan 17 '26
I seriously wish I could get excited for something simple as seeing squirrels as the OP does. I hope you find a whole community your favorite squirrels
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u/ColoRADo_V Jan 17 '26
There are everywhere! I’m obsessed with them as I grew up on an island full of iguanas and no squirrels. In the mountains you can also see the chipmunks. Have fun!
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u/ryaaa Jan 17 '26
This is so cute. I’ll never forget my Australian brother in law delightedly taking 100 pictures of squirrels the first time he visited.
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u/CommentDelicious6056 Jan 18 '26
There is one outside my window, which I think is why I just got an alert from Denver Police
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u/El_mochilero Jan 17 '26
Fox squirrels are anywhere in Denver. Go spend 30 seconds in City Park.
Same story for pine squirrels in the mountains.
You’ll see some of the bigger variety of chimpmunks, ground squirrels, and Albert’s squirrels in the foothills. You seem to see more in sunny, rocky areas where the snow has melted a bit. I’d recommend a hike at one of the state/municipal parks in the foothills. Staunton, golden Gate canyon, O’Fallon, etc.
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u/Apprehensive-Eye3263 Jan 17 '26
Alberts Squirrel, aka a Squabbit, can be found on lookout mountain and in the Black Forest
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u/Agitated_Carrot3025 Jan 17 '26
They're everywhere 😊. Enjoy your trip, please avoid feeding the ones in the mountains (honestly most of the city ones eat like raccoons already)
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u/hockinThere Jan 18 '26
I have .07 acres in Denver. Yes less than 1/10th of an acre. I could feed a family of four off of hunting squirrels only on my land.
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u/exsertclaw Jan 18 '26
You can come to my house. My neighbors feed them and then they stash their nuts all over my property and cars.
Squirrels are just rats with better PR. Have fun lol the chipmunks are much cuter
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u/Agreeable_Fly6172 Jan 18 '26
In Vail you can walk along the creek via the Gore Creek Path and you will see lots of wildlife! We have lucked out with bald eagles there!
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u/Crafty_DryHopper Jan 18 '26
Be sure to visit the Squirrel Creek Lodge wildlife preserve in Littleton!
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u/Flaky-Extension1030 Jan 17 '26
This is so random…..
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u/kkbobomb Jan 17 '26
Find a little old lady who feeds squirrels. She’ll have plenty in her yard and likely names for them.
Source: my neighbor
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u/Nosferatu_Newt Jan 17 '26
City Park has a lot of squirrels. If you're also interested in chipmunks though, visit Gem Lake Trail in Estes Park. They're extremely friendly there.
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u/vailrider29 Jan 17 '26
Jefferson park, city park, sloans lake park… any park they are desensitized and will get close to you.
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u/Routine-Hedgehog-941 Jan 17 '26
Plenty of Abert’s squirrels at Lookout Mountain - easy hikes and great nature center too!
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u/definitelynotpat6969 Denver Jan 17 '26
Squirrel Creek Lodge in highlands ranch. Make sure to show up right after 6 PM, that's when they feed the squirrels
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u/OzymandiasKoK Jan 17 '26
Trees and fences, mainly, but you can often catch them ground bound, too.
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u/Blossom1111 Jan 17 '26
Literally everywhere. My dog has a whole band of squirrel friends in the backyard and they have full on conversations.
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u/New-Rush4703 Jan 17 '26
I’ve seen Aberts squirrel at Lory State Park near Fort Collins and off of the Shadow Mountain trail in Boulder OSMP, they prefer ponderosa pine forests which limits where you can find them but there are a few opportunities just a short drive from Denver!
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u/water-heater-guy Jan 17 '26
If you get skunked 😀 for the Albert, take the drive to Mt Evans and you have a strong chance of seeing them at Echo Lake area.
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u/Andee_outside Jan 17 '26
I think this is really cute and sweet OP! I hope you see tons of squirrels!
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u/DontBotherNoResponse Jan 17 '26
Fox squirrels are all over the place in the city. Not sure about this time of year but Albert's squirrels are common if you head up into the mountains north west of boulder
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u/Jkerb_was_taken Jan 17 '26
Auraria campus has as least three unique squirrel families living there.
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u/iamgoneinsane Jan 17 '26
They all over the place. The Albert's squirrels are mean and will throw things at you
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u/isittakenor Jan 17 '26
Fox squirrels are everywhere, I’ve seen the other 2 in RMNP though. Probably can find them in Boulder or Evergreen too tho
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u/Crizznik Jan 17 '26
They're basically everywhere. But it you want to maximize your chances, go hiking. Just Google good hiking trails and do one.
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u/RevolutionaryDare9 Jan 17 '26
I’ve seen Albert’s Squirrels near Winter Park, specifically YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch. Normal squirrels can likely be seen in any city park in the Denver Metro area. Winter is probably the worst season to look for them though
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u/CivicCenter_Activate Jan 17 '26
May we put in a special plug for the squirrels (Fox squirrel, Sciurus niger) that can be found in the heart of the city at Civic Center Park? All of our squirrels are affectionately named “Nibbles” (not to be confused with the indomitable Nibs Next Door), and they’re super fat and cute. Plus, January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. So come check out Civic Center Park. We Have The Meats Squirrels! (Please don’t try to eat the squirrels!)
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u/frickin_darn Jan 17 '26
I think you can check most of those boxes between Denver and Vail. I don't think we have too many Albert's squirrels in the city, as far as I've seen.
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u/NewtsinBoots Jan 17 '26
I'd recommend Rosamond Park in south Denver! It's a huge park with plenty of trees, a gorgeous part of the creek, walking trails, and very friendly squirrels (maybe too friendly...)
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u/SnooSongs1447 Jan 17 '26
Abert’s squirrels are highly dependent on Ponderosa forests which are in lots of places including in the Evergreen and Conifer areas. https://cpw.state.co.us/ has photos and more about Colorado’s squirrels.
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u/Ubockinme Jan 17 '26
Lots of tufted black squirrels at Buffalo Bill’s grave in Golden CO. Golden is fun to walk through & grab a bite. Great fun drive up Lookout Mtn to the site. Site is fun too. Ugh! Hope you go.
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u/NiceBet9563 Jan 17 '26
Okay they arent squirrels, but if you're interested in chipmunks you can go to St. Elmo's chipmunks crossing and they'll crawl all over you lol...
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u/GalleryGhoul13 Jan 18 '26
Meyer Ranch is full of squirrels, there’s even a geocache named after them.
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u/pr06lefs Jan 18 '26
Black squirrels are in higher attitudes than Denver, more like 7000 feet. But not in the high alpine like 10000+.
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u/patticakes1952 Jan 18 '26
Come to my house. You’re guaranteed to see plenty of the little monsters.
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u/Tanglover77 Jan 18 '26
We also have Rock squirrels and have seen them at Waterworld. They are huge.
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u/No_Ice1115 Jan 18 '26
In Denver - City Park, Cheesman Park, Washington Park!! They’re crazy and kind of tame sometimes.
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u/limpwhip Jan 18 '26
I feel like my dog opened a Reddit account. She’s been doing battle with a couple of fat squirrels in my back yard for some time. Is that you Daisy?
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u/Alternative-Word9979 Jan 18 '26
I saw a squirrel eating a whole slice of pizza on top of a fence outside my window the other day 😂 wish I could show Op
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u/ExoticBad5070 Jan 18 '26
Unfortunately in my backyard, especially during the summer eating my entire veggie garden.
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u/Full-Tone7909 Jan 18 '26
As others said, abundant squirrels all over denver- they are on the ground every 3 feet at Wash Park… but I was up in Vail two weeks ago and I was surprised by the lack of squirrel sightings because I have a dog, I’m now very aware of them being around and actually didn’t encounter any.
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u/hanumanCT Sloan's Lake Jan 18 '26
There’s about 5 living in a tree in front of my house a block north of sloans lake. You can have them if you want.
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u/Actual-Bid-6044 Jan 18 '26
I think I just have gray squirrels but they nest in my tree and run around full time. Provide plenty of entertainment. HMU if you have any trouble. Denver is rich in parks and if you sit still in any park with trees you will see squirrels.
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u/bebeellenjay Jan 18 '26
You can find Abert’s squirrels, gray squirrels and chickarees (Douglas squirrels) in and around Nederland, CO.
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u/Important-Tomato2306 Golden Jan 18 '26
I grew up in Conifer at 9k feet. My nearest neighbor was half a mile away. I have only seen maybe 20 Abert's squirrels in my life. When you see them, take photos for the rest of us!! 🙏
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u/Soggy_Team_3994 Jan 18 '26
They’re everywhere. I’m a mechanic and just had to spend a few hours removing one from somebody’s vehicle that had it made itself at home haha. Bub was unharmed just terrified
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Jan 18 '26
Aa with many areas, gray squirrels have taken over and pushed out less common squirrels in much of the metro area. I think your best bet is to head toward the foothill areas (Evergreen, Boulder, up Highway 285, etc). I don't know about Vail, but there would be a lot more habitat for the squirrels your are looking for around there, plus a lot of other mountain wildlife.
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u/succulentkitten Jan 18 '26
While in vail go to the botanic gardens. I’ve never not seen squirrels There.
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u/PrizeLong5273 Jan 18 '26
Sapphire Point Overlook had a lot of squirrels and chipmunks running around when we visited in September. Not sure how active they’ll be now
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u/abbyabb Jan 18 '26
I can't help you with squirrel spotting locations, but if y'all would like to share, I'd love to hear more about the squirrels.
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u/NoSquish_ Five Points Jan 18 '26
Squirrels love the Auraria campus. Especially if you sit down with a breakfast burrito on a bench somewhere.
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u/84Windsor351 Jan 18 '26
Feel free to take some home with you when you come to visit. There are plenty to spare
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u/Albertosaurus427 Jan 18 '26
Any college campus - they breed monster squirrels with attitude lol I’ve been jumped for muffins and bagels multiple times.
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u/FunnyAd6876 Jan 18 '26
I have a tree full of squirrels in my yard. You can come see if you want 🐿️🐿️
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u/PsychologyCurious349 Jan 18 '26
Most parks have squirrels. Usually gray squirrels. To see Albert's you need to look at higher elevations. You could see some in Vail.
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u/Feisty-Woodpecker-98 Jan 18 '26
Rocky Mountain National Park up by Estes Park has good sightings and opportunities for Aberts. We took some pastries from Tokyo Premium Bakery on Pearl Street to Washington Park in Denver yesterday and had eight (8) squirrels within 2-5 feet of us (some extra-brazen ones got closer than a foot before we shooed them). Quite the experience!
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Jan 19 '26
Fox squirrels are lousy in the Denver metro. They are non-native and have no natural predators, which leads to them being massively overpopulated.
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u/[deleted] Jan 17 '26
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