The park's higher elevations are covered with a mix of conifer and aspen forests, along with Gambel oak shrublands. Trees such as ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, Douglas fir, Colorado blue spruce, Rocky Mountain maple and aspen are prevalent in these areas. The diverse habitats attract a variety of migratory and resident birds, including raptors, waterfowl and shorebirds. The park serves as a common winter range for large animals, and it's common to spot mule deer and elk. You may encounter other mammals like cottontail rabbits, marmots, raccoons, skunks, coyotes and ground squirrels.

Bird, plant and wildlife guides may be available at the Crawford park book store. You can also use Paonia State Park's iNaturalist app observations for Android and iPhone. iNaturalist is a free online social network and citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. By uploading photos or sounds of wild organisms, you can get help identifying species from a global community of naturalists and even an automated identification tool. Using iNaturalist helps you learn about local nature, connect with other enthusiasts, and most importantly, contribute valuable scientific data to biodiversity research and conservation efforts worldwide.