First Crane Sighting Contest
2026 First Crane Sighting of the Season Contest
Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition is pleased to announce the results of the 2025 First Crane Sighting Contest!
CCCC received 47 official entries and 11 additional reports of Sandhill Cranes in the Yampa Valley.
The returning cranes were first reported in Craig on March 3. Sightings continued in Moffat County and then in West Routt County in the coming days. Crane sightings began several days earlier than in 2025, a year which also marked earlier than usual sightings. Nearly two weeks later, sightings were reported in Steamboat Springs, South Routt, and North Routt County.
In addition to the Grand Prize (given to the person who spots and documents the very first crane seen in the Yampa Valley), the First Crane Sighting Contest awards a prize to each individual with the photo or video of the earliest sighting in the following zones:
- North Moffat
- West Moffat
- Central Moffat
- Craig
- North Craig
- West Routt
- North Routt
- Steamboat Springs
- South Steamboat
- South Routt
Note: Zones have been updated for 2026 to encourage more participation in a variety of areas across Routt and Moffat Counties. Not only is this contest a fun way for community members to participate in welcoming the cranes back to the Yampa Valley, but it also provides valuable community science data that over time, can help CCCC to identify patterns and trends in habitat use.
Entries with an asterisk (*) indicate that a photo is included in the photo gallery above.
Grand Prize:
3/03/2026 at 7:58:00 am: Kathy Simpson spotted a crane a few miles north of Craig on the Simpson Ranch
Central Moffat:
3/05/2026 at 11:36 am Tamara Miles spotted 3 Sandhill Cranes on The Little Snake river by Highway 318.
Craig:
3/04/2026 at 7:30 am Lewis & Lorrae Moon reported a Greater Sandhill Crane pair north of Craig on Frosty Acres Ranch.
North Craig:
3/07/2026 at 7:30 am Justin Rehfeld reported a solitary Greater Sandhill Crane flying above the Snake River on the state line southwest of Baggs, Wyoming.
West Routt:
3/05/2025 at 10:00 am Annette Zuber spotted 3 Greater Sandhill Cranes on CR78, 7 miles north of Hayden.
North Routt:
3/20/2025 at 11:00 am Mona Gibson caught on video a large flock of Sandhill Cranes flying high over CR 54.
Steamboat Springs:
3/16/2026 at 6:00 pm Donna Mae Hoots spotted a pair of Greater Sandhill Cranes standing in the Elk River on CR 42.
South Steamboat Springs:
3/21/2026 at 4:04 pm James Pallotti spotted a solitary Greater Sandhill Crane at Haymaker Golf Course.
South Routt:
3/14/2026 at 8:28 am Kristi Schalnus caught Greater Sandhill Cranes on video at the Schalnus Ranch in Yampa CO across from Finger Rock.
CCCC appreciates all the submissions that were received during the course of the contest. The reports help CCCC learn when cranes are arriving and which areas cranes utilize as they return to the Yampa Valley. This contest helps CCCC with our mission of conserving and protecting Greater Sandhill Cranes and their habitat in Northwest Colorado. While we are unable to post all of the photos and videos that we received, we do want to recognize all those who sent in crane reports during the course of the contest. Listed below are all other participants in the 2025 First Crane Sighting Contest.
Justin Rehfeld on 3/4/26 at10:00 am at the Yampa River in Craig, a couple miles or so east of the Wyman museum on highway 40.
Tonya Mercer on 3/4/26 at 6:50 pm at North CR 103, about 1/2mile from Highway 13.
Tonya Mercer on 3/5/26 at 9:40 am in the field by the Fiber Mill, between mile marker 104 and 105 on North Highway 13.
Theresa King on 3/5/26 at 8:00 am near Colorado Northwestern Community College- Craig Campus. Sighted coming in to land on a field.
Forrest Flanigan on 3/6/26 at 4:15 pm in a mowed field on the east side of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport.
Allen Hischke on 3/7/26 at 12:00 pm in a hay field just west of the Craig airport.
Paul and Rebecca Knowles on 3/7/26 at 12:58 pm at the intersection of 318 and County Road 21- West Moffat near Little Snake River.
Matt Ross on 3/8/26 at 2:16:00 pm at the Carpenter Ranch.
Rusty Brooks on 3/8/26 at 5:12:00 pm sighted just north of Craig on CR22. They flew into a small pond just off the county road.
Seth Wilson on 3/8/26 at 11:00 am sighted on the south facing hillside above CR 78 on the cog.
Dallin Staker on 3/9/26 at 10:35 am at location 40.58383, -107.54149.
Seth Schowlert on 3/11/26 at 8:30 am at approximately mile marker 3 on Moffat County Road 30, about 4 miles southwest of Craig in a winter wheat field.
Jeff Goncalves on /8/26 at 10:24 am sighted at the intersection of highway 318 and the Little Snake River (also known as the Two-Bar) approximately mile marker 45.
Kim Ducklow on 3/14/26 at 11:45 am over the Yampa River, west of Hayden in the state wildlife area.
Debbie Murphy on 3/19/26 at 8:30 am spotted two cranes together in Hayden on CR 70, near Wolf Mt Ranch on the west side of the road. The cranes were walking in a field on the river side.
Carol Swithers on 3/19/26at 5:23 pm south side of Craig, Moffat County 394 and Water Plant Road.
David Holloway on 3/20/26 at 6:15 pm Morgan Bottoms.
Ira Delilovic-Boomgardenon 3/21/26 at 8:46 am intersection of highways 40 and 42.
Jennifer Fernley on 3/21/26 at 1:00 pm between the wetlands area and the lake trail on the north side of Stagecoach Reservoir.
Carrie Babyak on 3/21/26 early evening in a hay field next to a pond.
Greer Bruecken on 3/22/26 at 10:20 am at the corner of 40 & CR 42 at a pond.
Carter Chadwick on 3/19/26 at 1:25 pm sighted just North of the Yampa River on the West side of Colorado 394 outside of Craig.
Kim Miles on 3/22/26 at 12:30 pm South Routt along creek near Stagecoach Reservoir, on CR 14.
Carol Markowitz on 3/22/26 at 3:54 pm 3.5 miles south from Steamboat Springs on River Road (CO 14). In the field across River Road from the Humble Ranch.
Jeremy Gigliotti on 3/22/26 at 12:30 pm on CR 70 and CR 80 and sighted in 3 different locations listed below. 40.503178,-107.161731 40.610008,-107.171129.
Kristi Hardy on 3/22/26 t4:15 pm at intersection of 14 and 14F (middle Chuck Lewis).
Katerina Lee on 3/23/26 at 9:00 am south Steamboat near the intersection of CR 41A and CR 41.
Pamela Vitt on 3/23/26 at1:30 pm out in front of the Wyman Museum just east of Craig.
Nicholette Durken on 3/23/26 at 7:00 pm sighted on CR 36, near intersection of Buff Pass Road on the right side coming from town.
Josh Smullin on 3/23/26 at 7:00 pm CR 36 near Buff Pass Road on right hand side on the way from town.
Erin Biggs on 3/24/26 at 5:30 pm a few miles south of Steamboat on 13.
Joanna Riley on 3/24/26 at 1:13 pm on 131 about 250 yards before the Catamount turn off.
Begee Biggs on 3/25/26 at 6:15 pm on 131 before the bridge.
Kathy Benjamin on 3/29/26 at 7:59 am in the meadow off Schussmark Trail and 21
Tim Wohlgenant on 3/28/26 at 12:30 pm on CR44.
Russell Tuttle on 3/28/26 at 6:30 am heard the cranes calling during the night, saw and heard them on and around Lake Catamount early on the morning of March 28th.
Gregory Rubalcaba on 3/28/26 at 8:55 am sighted in Oak creek SW of the football field, Gregory Ranch.
Jeff Goncalves on 3/23/26 at 2:15 pm sighted at mile marker 113.5 on highway 13.
