Mountains, rivers, and wildlife, see the best part of Steamboat Springs from a Hot Air Balloon
Can you imagine listening to an elk bugle in the morning light while slowly lifting off the ground in a majestic hot air balloon? Picture yourself drifting over the glistening river to see a mama and baby moose drinking from the water bank. Think of the amazement as you watch an Osprey dive to the water and come up with a fish in his claws.
A tour in a hot air balloon is vastly different from any other sightseeing adventure. A balloon glides silently through the air, working with the winds of nature to give you front row seats to these magnificent animals. Because we move slowly and silently, we can fully take in the breathtaking views and wildlife. We launch in the morning, around 7 am, when the animals are the most active and we have seen some incredible things. On our last flight this week, we saw a cluster of mama and baby elk as we were setting up the balloon in our launch field. As we launched, we drifted toward the river and saw a mama moose standing on the riverbank. Knowing she had a baby, we gave her a wide berth but were able to see her new calf with his light fuzz and wobbly knees. As we rose higher into the sky with the sun kissed mountains behind us, we watched the bigger herd of elk move up into the trees while the mamas and babies stayed in the valley. Below us we could watch the sandhill crane parents and their babies slowly creeping through the field as the goose family swam through the river. It was an incredible morning!
The best time of year to see wildlife from the balloon is during the cooler seasons of spring and fall. In spring, the valley turns a lush green and the rivers rage through the valley. The mamas and babies surround us; sandhill cranes, elk, deer and all their offspring roam the fields next to our launch site.
As the leaves start to change and the temperatures cool, the bear knows that winter is coming and he ramps up his active search for food in the valley below our watching eyes. Once hunting season kicks off, the elk gather in the protected green space surrounding our launch field and their morning bugling is incredible! The giant bull moose seems to cover more ground during the colorful fall season and we’ll frequently see him trotting through our field.
Every fall, we have a Bald Eagle post up in the tall cottonwoods next to our river. We get to watch them soar through the sky, sometimes eye level with the balloon. We had a resident hawk one summer that was extremely interested in our operation and would fly over us as we set up in the field. He would then follow the balloon and play in the hot air vented from the balloon throughout the flight. The Osprey fly over our heads at the end of
many flights and we get to watch them fish in the river while we sip our sparkling champagne.
The stories we have involving wildlife are incredible and we look forward to many more adventures from the sky. We can see them up-close while respectfully giving them the distance they need to ensure their safety and that hopefully they continue to be a part of our unforgettable experience.
The wildlife in Steamboat Springs is still wild and plentiful. We hope you get the fantastic experience to join us on nature’s adventure and see something that you have never seen.
