If you like easier hikes, this is a good summer to watch my Colorado hiking videos. In January, I had surgery to remove part of a herniated disc that put pressure on my spine, but not before it damaged the nerves in my left foot. I expect to get my strength back, but nerves can take up to a year to re-grow. So for now, I’m discovering that flat or rolling hikes are not only easier on a weak foot, but can also be a delight to the eye. Case in point: Barr Lake WIldlife Refuge, where my husband Dale and I went on Monday, and saw more animals than we usually see on our hikes.

Barr Lake State Park is only 40 minutes from Denver, yet it’s a trip into the wild. We saw: deer, herons, egrets, pelicans, rabbits, red winged blackbirds, and many sherbet-colored birds we couldn’t identify. If you don’t go during the hottest part of the day like we did, you might also see: badgers, foxes, bald eagles, falcons, and hawks. All that and more on a flat, three-mile round-trip from the Nature Center to the Gazebo, including boardwalks and nature blinds.

To visit Barr Lake from Denver: take I-76 east 16.8 miles to Bromley Lane, turn right onto Bromley/East 152nd, go about 1 mile to Picadilly Road and turn right again. In 2 miles, you’ll see the entrance on the right. A day pass for your car is $7. Don’t forget binoculars, to get a closer look at animals like the ones in this video. Keep your eye out for the killdeer that plays dead to lure us from her nest:

Hiking Barr Lake Wildlife Refuge from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.