Photo Tours - Georgetown Bighorn Viewing Area

Bighorn Sheep are an iconic species of wildlife in Colorado.  In fact they are Colorado's state mammal.   While plentiful, they can be difficult to see and even more difficult to photograph due to their affinity for rocky cliff sides.  Often if you do see them you're going to need a really big lens to get any kind of quality shot. 

But not at Georgetown Colorado.  The sheep tend to make their way to this area of the I-70 corridor during the winter months (Oct - April) and can often be found grazing within meters of the roadside.  There is an official viewing area that has been set up on the South side of I-70 just West of the Georgetown exit, but I've never actually seen a Bighorn from that location.   I have found that your best option is to jump onto the service road (North side of I-70) from the "Empire" exit.  Follow the frontage road West and keep a sharp eye on the cliffs to your right.   From Empire up to Georgetown you have a very good chance of catching a herd or two of the majestic creatures as they make their way around the cliff sides.

When you do see them.  Slowly stop your vehicle and just wait inside the car for a few minutes (snap some photographs out the window), then once you've nailed a few shots, then you can risk getting out of the car (slowly) and try and find yourself some better shooting locations.   I suggest shooting, moving a few feet, shooting again, etc.   Because once you spook them they're gone, so you want to get what photographs you can before they move.