Colorado Springs residents and visitors have a wildly romantic plan this Valentine’s Day: skip the crowded restaurants and spend the day watching majestic bighorn sheep roam red rock canyons under winter light.
The 21st annual Bighorn Sheep Day takes over Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center on Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and best of all, the entire event is free.
Why This Event Keeps Growing After 21 Years
Garden of the Gods has become one of the best places in Colorado to see bighorn sheep in winter. The rams, ewes, and lambs move down from the high country to graze on south-facing slopes where snow melts first, often gathering in herds of 50 or more right along the park roads.
Organizers say attendance has doubled in the last decade, with families now coming from Denver, Pueblo, and even New Mexico for this one-day celebration.
The event started small in 2005 as a way to teach people about Colorado’s state mammal and reduce car-sheep conflicts on nearby highways. Two decades later, it has become a beloved local tradition that perfectly combines romance, wildlife, and the stunning beauty of the park.
What You’ll See and Do on February 14
Park staff and volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society set up high-powered spotting scopes at key locations so everyone can get close-up views without disturbing the animals.
Visitors can expect:
- Live bighorn sheep viewing stations with expert guides
- Nature walks focusing on sheep behavior and winter survival
- Meet real education animals from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
- Kids activities including sheep horn crafts and face painting
- Prize giveaways from local businesses
- Hot chocolate and warming stations
The sheep are usually most active between 10 a.m. and noon, so early arrival is recommended.
A Perfect Valentine’s Day Alternative
While chocolate and roses remain popular, thousands of couples now choose Bighorn Sheep Day as their Valentine’s tradition.
“It’s honestly more romantic than dinner,” says Sarah Martinez, who has attended with her husband for the past five years. “Watching those huge rams against the red rocks while the sun comes up, there’s nothing like it.”
The park reports seeing more engagement photos taken on Bighorn Sheep Day than any other day of the year except Christmas.
Planning Your Visit: Everything You Need to Know
The event runs rain, snow, or shine. Colorado Springs weather in mid-February can swing from 50 degrees and sunny to snow flurries in hours, so dress in layers.
Free parking is available in Lot 1 at the main park entrance on 30th Street, with additional spaces opening as needed. The Visitor Center address is 1805 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
Pro tip: Arrive by 9:30 a.m. for the best parking and first look at the sheep, who often feed closest to the roads in early morning.
The animals you’re coming to see are part of a healthy herd that has grown from about 25 animals in the 1990s to over 80 today, thanks to conservation efforts and careful management by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
These sheep represent a Colorado success story. Once nearly wiped out by disease and hunting, bighorn populations across the state have been steadily recovering through careful translocation programs and habitat protection.
Garden of the Gods plays a special role because it offers critical winter range right in the middle of a major city, proving that people and wildlife can thrive together when we make space for both.
This Valentine’s Day, thousands of people will stand quietly together, binoculars in hand, watching wild sheep climb impossible rock faces against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak. Children will ask endless questions. Couples will hold hands a little tighter. Someone will almost certainly propose.
In a world that sometimes feels too fast and too loud, Bighorn Sheep Day offers something increasingly rare: a chance to slow down, look up, and remember why we fell in love with Colorado in the first place.
Bring your sweetheart, bring your kids, bring your sense of wonder. The sheep will be waiting.
What are your plans for Valentine’s Day this year? Will you be joining the crowds at Garden of the Gods to watch the bighorn sheep? Share your photos and stories in the comments below, and tag #BighornSheepDay on social media so we can find your pictures!
