Lookout Mountain Nature Center sits in a ponderosa pine forest high above Golden, a free Jeffco Open Space center where kids and adults meet the wildlife of the foothills and then hike a quiet 110-acre preserve with views of the Front Range.

Jefferson County Parks and Open Space owns and runs the center, and staff and volunteer naturalists lead free programs in every season for families, schools and groups. Inside the exhibit hall, interactive displays walk you through the plants and animals of the foothills ecosystem, including lifelike taxidermy mounts of a red fox, a mountain lion and a black bear. Kids head for the hands-on play room and the observation room, and a viewing deck looks out over the forest.

Outside, the Lookout Mountain Preserve’s hiker-only nature trails loop through ponderosa pine and meadow, with peeks west to snowy Mount Blue Sky and east over the plains. Mule deer are common on the mountain. For a longer outing, the challenging, hiker-only Beaver Brook Trail links the area with Windy Saddle Park and Clear Creek Canyon Park. Make a full day of it with Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave just down the road, then lunch in downtown Golden.

Insider tip: The Nature Center building is open only Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Tuesday through Thursday, but the preserve trails are open every day from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Because it sits on a mountaintop, check the weather and bring layers, and remember the preserve is for hikers only.

Lookout Mountain Nature Center offers free naturalist-led programs every season. Check current programs, special events and hours on jeffco.us before you visit, since private events are sometimes scheduled at the center.