Entry No. 148 — the Denver file — filed under: tree-carvings

Niwot Tree Carvings (Eddie Running Wolf)

Three towering figures — Spear Lodge Man, The Eagle Catcher, and Cheyenne Holy Man — were carved from dead willow stumps by the late Arapaho artist Eddie Running Wolf starting in 2007, and after restoration by his son Dustin have found their permanent home at Left Hand Valley Grange Park, sheltered under a tipi-like canopy near the LoBo Trail. They stand as eerie, weathered sentinels honoring Chief Niwot and the Arapaho people who once inhabited the Left Hand Valley.

The move: Walk the short LoBo Trail spur to stand among the three carved figures at dusk when the long shadows make them feel genuinely uncanny, then stroll into downtown Niwot for dinner or a First Friday Art Walk at Niwot Hall — the same community that has been keeping these sculptures alive for nearly two decades.

📍 Before you go The carvings stand at Left Hand Valley Grange Park, off Niwot Road near N. 83rd Street — park in the Grange Park lot and walk west toward the LoBo Trail; the three figures sit just beyond the lot under their tipi-like canopy, an easy flat stroll rather than a hike. This is a free, always-open outdoor spot, so any season works, but golden hour and dusk give the weathered wood its most uncanny shadows; winter is quiet and cold on the exposed plain. It's a community-tended memorial honoring Chief Niwot and the Arapaho — treat it respectfully. Pair it with downtown Niwot's shops and restaurants a few minutes east, and time a visit around First Friday if you can.

• 📍 Niwot
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 8296 Niwot Rd, Niwot, CO 80503 (Left Hand Valley Grange Park, near Niwot Rd & 79th St)

Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: lhvc.com · Roadside America

last checked: 2026-06-07