New maps show wolves have explored areas close to metro area, including SE Boulder County, northern Jeffco

DENVER — GPS-collared gray wolves in Colorado have been recorded in areas close to the Denver metro area and Boulder, including southeast Boulder County and northern Jefferson County.

According to the latest wolf movement map released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Wednesday afternoon, the wolves have been moving near the northwest metro area up toward Boulder and appear closer than ever to the Front Range.

The below map shows watersheds outlined in purple. If it is filled in, it means that at least one collared wolf was within the boundaries for some amount of time between Oct. 21 and Nov. 25. It does not indicate that the wolves are still there.

Denver7 zoomed in on the area around the metro to show the watersheds that wolves have entered.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

It is unknown if the movements recorded around this area were made by one wolf or multiple, or if they are still in the area or have moved away.

Since the May 2023 approval of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, CPW has said that wolves are expected to expand widely over the years, including to the Front Range.

Two previously released wolf movement maps showed wolves nearing the Front Range — March-April 2025 and May-June 2025 — however the animals did not appear to be exploring the Front Range as much there. Those maps are below.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

In addition, wolves were detected near tribal lands in Colorado. CPW has a memorandum of understanding with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the agency said, and it addresses the potential impacts of the wolf reintroduction program on the reservation and Brunot Treaty Area in southwest Colorado.

CPW encourages anybody who has seen a wolf to alert CPW through a form on its website here. It said photos and videos are helpful, and if you are recording a paw print, place an item next to it for size comparison. Coyotes are often mistaken as gray wolves, but the latter are about twice the size and have much larger paw prints — typically 5-inch long front paws and 4-inch long back paws.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

CPW is planning a third round of gray wolf reintroductions in January 2026.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Denver7 has been following Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program since the very beginning, and you can explore all of that reporting in the timeline below. The timeline starts with our most recent story.

Denver7 in-depth wolf coverage

The below list outlines an overview of the known wolf population in Colorado:

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