{"id":10009,"date":"2013-01-16T10:58:02","date_gmt":"2013-01-16T17:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=10009"},"modified":"2013-01-17T14:44:06","modified_gmt":"2013-01-17T21:44:06","slug":"rocky-mountain-arsenal-national-wildlife-refuge-opens-to-self-guided-tours-by-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/local-news\/rocky-mountain-arsenal-national-wildlife-refuge-opens-to-self-guided-tours-by-car\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge opens to self-guided tours by car"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A golden eagle flies over Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge with the snow-capped Rockies in the background. Image taken in March 2011. (ThorntonWeather.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was a time activity at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was centered on our nation\u2019s defense as a location responsible for manufacturing chemical and conventional weapons.\u00a0 Now a National Wildlife Refuge, the site is one of the hidden gems of the Colorado Front Range when it comes to wildlife viewing.<\/p>\n

From World War II into the early 1980s the United States Army was the primary resident of the area.\u00a0 Its use of deep injection wells to dispose of hazardous waste was responsible for earthquakes in the metro area for decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As the Cold War wound down, the government began to clean the site up.\u00a0 It was an expensive project but one that saw the contaminated site transform into one that must be seen.<\/p>\n

Encompassing more than 15,000 acres, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is home to a wide variety of native animals, birds and reptiles.\u00a0 Deer, hawks, eagles and even buffalo are seen daily at the site in the heart of Denver.<\/p>\n

A new visitor\u2019s center opened at the refuge last year and now visitors can drive their own vehicles along nine miles of roads through the interior.\u00a0 In the past touring the facility required riding on a bus operated by the facility.<\/p>\n

If you have never been, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a \u2018must see\u2019 for everyone.<\/p>\n

On the net:<\/strong><\/p>\n