The Bighorns are a Big Deal!
For decades, the Garden of the Gods has been celebrated for the beauty of the Park, the unique geography, and the looming image of America’s Mountain in the backdrop of those glorious red rocks. However, there exists something in the Garden that is just as magnificent, iconic, and recognizable as even those distinctive images. That’s right: our bighorn sheep! This month, we celebrated our 19th annual Bighorn Sheep Day, a collaborative day filled with family fun and education, and many of our partners were able to join together to honor these distinguished denizens of the Garden!
This year’s event started off with a blast of winter weather as inches of snow descended upon the Park. Thankfully, that all cleared up within a few hours, and that fresh powder only helped to make the day’s pictures even more magical! To make things better, we had a successful day despite the weather, with approximately 2,684 guests attending the event! That means thousands got to witness the live animal demonstrations from Nature’s Educators, get high-fives from Pike’s Peak’s very own Rocky the Ram, experience the touch tables put on by our Park Ranger staff, participate in exciting scavenger hunts with yours truly, and so much more! And just when we thought things couldn’t possibly get any better, we were lucky enough to be greeted by the bighorns themselves as they emerged from the Dakota Trail to revel in the fanfare! The day was all about them, and we’re so glad they were able to make an appearance despite the number of guests and the poor weather early on.
And that about does it for Bighorn Sheep Day 2024! If you were able to attend, we greatly appreciate your support, and we’d love to see any pictures you took or hear about your experience! Next year’s event will be its 20 year anniversary, so we hope to see more guests than ever before! On behalf of the Visitor & Nature Center, the Garden of the Gods Park, and all of the staff and volunteers involved in Bighorn Sheep Day, thank you, and we can’t wait to see you next year!
