Moose live in the high country around Cameron Pass

Drive Colorado Highway 14 up the Poudre toward Cameron Pass, near the far western edge of Larimer County, and you are in moose country. Moose favor the willows along streams and in wet valleys, like those near the pass and over toward the Laramie River, and they can be seen there year-round, including in winter. Colorado’s moose population in this part of the state grew from animals brought in during the last century.

Seeing one is a treat, but moose call for real respect. They are very large, and they do not spook and run the way deer do. A cow with a calf, or a bull in the fall rut, can become aggressive and charge with little warning, and people are injured by moose more often than many expect. The guidance from Colorado Parks and Wildlife is to keep well back, never get between a cow and her calf, and leave dogs leashed, since moose see dogs as a threat.

For winter visitors, moose may appear right along ski and snowshoe trails near Cameron Pass, so stay alert and give them a wide berth.

To learn where moose live in Colorado and how to stay safe around them, see the Colorado Parks and Wildlife moose page and the Forest Service Cameron Pass recreation information.