Birding Colorado

Messex State Wildlife Area (North Unit) - Logan County
Aliases:
Ownership: None Listed
Description: Yet another seldom-visited SWA along the South Platte, Messex is much like Atwood, and the same species should be looked for here. The best access to the riparian corridor is from the large parking lot on the south side of the road at the southern unit of the property (not marked on most maps), which is in Washington County (q.v.). The northern unit, which is in Logan County, can be accessed from a parking lot quite far from the river, adjacent to a large field with scattered Russian-olives. One can walk through the field to the river, which is a good way to find Northern Bobwhite, but those looking for migrants are likely to be better off using the southern parking lot.

Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt
Elevation:
Directions: To get to this SWA from I-76, take either exit 102 (the Merino exit) or exit 115 (the CO 63 exit) and head north to US-6. If you choose the first option, travel NE on Hwy 6, and if you choose the second, travel SW, and go to CR 6 (7.5 miles from the Merino exit, and the same distance from the town of Atwood by the CO 63 exit). Head west along CR 6, and the northern parking lot will be on your left in about 2.5 miles. To get to the southern unit, take CR 6 a couple of miles further to CR 15.5, and turn left. Follow this road for two miles and turn left onto CR 59. This road crosses the river, and the SWA, in about a mile.
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