Gould

Understand

Every year, millions of tourists flock to Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for a chance to see wildlife in a natural setting. At these popular destinations, the frequent trade-off for glimpsing wild animals such as elk, deer and moose are throngs of people and traffic jams.

Fortunately, this is not the case with the sleepy little hamlet of Gould. The proverbial "wide spot in the road," Gould is an unincorporated community of roughly 20. Colorado State Highway 14 runs through the middle of town, which consists of a community center, bar and grill and a few private campgrounds. Gould is also a prime spot for wildlife viewing minus the crowds.

History

Flora and fauna

Colorado boasts the southernmost moose population in North America, and is home to the smallest subspecies of moose, Alces alces shirasi, or Shiras Moose. The North Park area surrounding Gould is home to over 600 Shiras moose, observable year round.

Colorado moose are about the size of a horse and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. While they may seem sluggish or placid in appearance, moose can also be highly territorial. If they feel threatened and charge, moose run up to speeds of 35 miles per hour.

Their favorite haunts are in marshy spots along rivers, streams and beaver ponds, where moose feed upon willows and aquatic plants.