Birding Colorado

Sapinero Mesa Road/Lake City Cutoff (CR 26) - Gunnison County
Aliases: Lake City Cut-off
Ownership: None Listed
Description: THE place to find woodpeckers in Gunnison County! The road goes from Highway 149 all the way back to Blue Mesa Reservoir, but the birding is best for about 8 miles. The first 4 miles, which have been subject to controlled burns for several years, are especially good and probably the easiest place around to find a Three-toed Woodpecker. Birding on Blue Mesa Cut-off is good in the spring and fall, but access can be limited. During the winter, the road can be walked or skied but not driven. This area is best in the summer. Resident birds include White-breasted, Red-breasted and Pygmy nuthatches, Mountain and Black-capped chickadees, owls, and woodpeckers. Nesting birds include six species of woodpeckers, Mountain and Western bluebirds, Western Tanager, Plumbeous and Warbling vireos, various flycatchers, and possibly Grace's Warblers. During migration, several species of warblers can be seen.

Habitat: Ponderosa Forest, Mixed Conifer Forest, Burn Area, Aspen Grove, Sagebrush
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Directions: From Gunnsion, go west on US 50 to CO 149. Turn left (south) onto CO 149, heading towards Lake City. Between mile post 97 & 96, turn right (north) at the top of the hill onto Sapinero Mesa Road (CR 26). This is the best ponderosa stand in the area and the most accessible. It can be walked for miles on the eastern side.
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