Seventeen miles west of Steamboat Springs, the Yampa River drops through a narrow gap before flowing onto one of the broadest floodplains in western Colorado. The preserve is located on the eastern edge of this floodplain. This preserve is beautiful throughout the spring, fall and winter, but mosquitoes can be unrelenting during the summer.

The Yampa is one of the few rivers remaining in the West that can support an extensive riparian ecosystem. The scenic Morgan Bottoms section of the preserve is open to the public, where you can enjoy a lovely walk (two miles roundtrip) through the heart of the cottonwood forest, nestled within a canyon along the banks of the Yampa. On a good day, you might see an elk pausing for a cool drink, or a bald eagle keeping watch from a tree by the water's edge.

This preserve protects acres of lush riparian forest and upland habitats that provide home to an abundance of wildlife—beaver, elk, bald eagles, mink, mule deer, Swainson's thrush, river otter, and grey catbirds. During the winter, this is a great place for a short, peaceful outing on cross-country skis or snowshoes.