{"id":70758,"date":"2025-06-11T09:40:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=70758"},"modified":"2025-06-11T09:58:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:58:03","slug":"find-colorado-wildflowers-at-their-peak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/find-colorado-wildflowers-at-their-peak\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s wildflower season in Colorado. How to find favorites like columbine, orchids and wild roses."},"content":{"rendered":"
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In mid-summer, wildflowers create a mosaic of spectacular colors in green meadows and on mountain slopes throughout the Colorado Rockies.<\/p>\n

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More commonly found on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, these columbines are close cousins of the Colorado Columbine. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bright yellow golden banner flowers cozy up next to fuchsia wild roses as if each wants to make the other look even prettier.<\/p>\n

Like starlets at the Oscars, wildflowers gussy up in their fanciest outfits every year. Take the brilliant red Indian paintbrush. Its unique flower truly looks like you could paint with it. Or there\u2019s Colorado\u2019s state flower, the delicate columbine. When a breeze gusts through a field of columbine, the flowers seem to gently wave to passersby. Columbine blooms in different colors, but the classic lilac and white flower with a wink of yellow at the center is best known and perhaps most magnificent. And what\u2019s not to love about purplish-blue chiming bells? Get down and peer closely at them, and you\u2019ll practically hear their sweet bell-shaped blossoms ringing.<\/p>\n

The names of many Colorado wildflowers are as fun and inviting as their looks. Flowers like fairy slipper orchids, kinnikinnick, firecracker penstemon, queen\u2019s crown and elephant head beg you to come find them. And we\u2019re not making this up. Sneezeweed and locoweed are real plant names. Plus, remember to show some love for alpine forget-me-nots.<\/p>\n

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Tall Chiming Bells grow close to moist areas and can be found near waterfalls or streams. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spring and summer are the ideal seasons to get out into Colorado\u2019s natural places and enjoy wildflowers. Plentiful snow during the winter \u2013 along with wet springs \u2013 create ideal wildflower shows. But don\u2019t worry about finding the single best trail or hunting for Colorado wildflowers only during the perfect year. There are plenty of places to see beautiful Colorado wildflowers every spring and summer. Any adventure to search for them will make you healthier and happier.<\/p>\n

To help get you started, we\u2019ve consulted with two pros who get to work in a very special place.<\/p>\n

Caryn Ling and Rachel Eckert are the lead interpretive park rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park\u2019s Alpine Visitor Center<\/a>. They work on top of the world at 11,796 feet above sea level. The visitor center is located along the national park\u2019s famous Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the U.S. (Learn more about Trail Ridge Road and Colorado\u2019s other Scenic & Historic Byways<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Fun Fact:<\/strong> In the harsh alpine tundra, flowers grow in groups and often work together to survive. At lower elevations, plants more frequently compete.<\/div>\n

Ling and Eckert\u2019s most important advice is critical. Please don\u2019t pick wildflowers. And keep an eye on where you step, especially when you\u2019re hiking or hunting for wildflowers up in the alpine tundra \u2014 the highest mountain areas above tree line. At high elevations, tiny flowers are especially fragile and may take years to grow. Some flowers bloom rarely and only for a week or two.<\/p>\n

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Colorado wildflowers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So slow down and look down so you can spot unique flowers. And rather than picking flowers and taking souvenirs home from wild places \u2014 which is illegal in national parks \u2014\u00a0snap a photo of your favorite flowers or take notes and share your flower finds with friends, family or on crowdsourcing sites (more details to come on how to help scientists as they track how wildflower growth is change due to climate change).<\/p>\n

Where are some of the best places in Colorado to see wildflowers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can see wildflowers throughout Colorado every spring and summer. Some of the most popular spots include:<\/p>\n