Horseshoe Park

Horseshoe Park is home to bighorn sheep, elk and other wildlife, and it is a wetland sanctuary for a wide variety of birds.

From 1933 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps operated a camp in Horseshoe Park, and the men removed beetle-infested trees, built and improved trails and campgrounds, and other projects.

Vegetation grew to support large herds of elk, bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn antelope, and bison.

Some men left the program, but a lot of them remained due to lack of economic opportunities during the Great Depression.

[6] The flood of July 15, 1982, called the "great washout", sent 39 million gallons of water down Roaring River[2] and into Estes Park.

The collapse of the Lawn Lake Dam in 1982 scoured the river's channel and deposited an alluvial fan of debris.

In autumn, males make mating calls and engage in fights with other bull elk to establish dominance among the herd.

[4] A large wetland supports a variety of birds, including robins, mountain bluebirds, red-winged blackbirds, warblers, hummingbirds, warbling vireos, song sparrows, and thrushes.

Due to environmental damage by tourists that reduced the size of the sanctuary, the wetlands were conferred protective status in 1972.