Where to go to see spring flowers.
My wife and I enjoy nature. Wildflowers are our favorite. Where is your favorite place to visit that has abundance of wildflowers? Example; we enjoy The Hill Country of Texas in April to see the Blu...
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One more CO location that one can reach by car is around Gothic north of Crested Butte and Gunnison. This area is very lush and has some pretty tall vegetation that flowers in the springs. Graded gravel road accessible to any vehicle.
To be more specific on a couple of my other selections: On the Flat Tops, head up Coffee Pot Road to Deep Lake (NFS CG if you're interested). It's a long 29 mile graded road, so maybe spend the night up there. Check out the meadows to the west, esp. around Heart Lake. On Grand Mesa, the best flowers are to the west of the Scenic Byway (CO 65) on the graded road to Land's End. As you drive out the road, you'll pass through various microclimates that mean different flowers as you get toward the edge of the Mesa. We also head out Land's End road and turn left on FR 109 and go out to Flowing Park reservoir and mountain bike the trails out there. Can be challenging to ride in the "spring" (June or July) as the flowers are so tall and thick, it can be hard to see the trail! I've taken a couple of bad spills out there. Maybe I was to busy looking at the flowers rather than concentrating on riding!
I think the two most flowery spots we've visited in CO are on hikes around Maroon Bells. About 1/2 mile east of Buckskin Pass is a high meadow (12,000') that we've been to multiple times. But at 12 miles round trip and an elevation gain of 2400' from Maroon Lake, it makes for a long day of hiking. Plus, add at least an hour in the meadow to take pictures. For almost the entire hike, you'll be looking up at Maroon Bells, and as you climb, you'll see them from different angles. Even if it weren't for the flowers, the hike is worth it to see the contrasting red rocks with the verdant green of the tundra.
The other spot around Maroon Bells is on the west side of West Maroon Pass at around 11,800'. This is an easier area to reach, with a round trip of maybe seven miles and an elevation gain of "only" 1400'. While this is an easier hike for us, from Glenwood it's longer only due to location of the trailhead on the other side of Schofield Pass. (We take the much longer but safer route over Kebler Pass instead.) But if you're camped in the Crested Butte/Gunnison area and don't mind a hike, this is one to take. To reach the trailhead, just continue above Gothic. And if you make it to the fields of flowers, go ahead and climb another 600' and one mile to West Maroon Pass.
I may be secretive about my favorite boondocking locations or my favorite fishing holes, but I'm glad to share my favorite flower areas.
To be more specific on a couple of my other selections: On the Flat Tops, head up Coffee Pot Road to Deep Lake (NFS CG if you're interested). It's a long 29 mile graded road, so maybe spend the night up there. Check out the meadows to the west, esp. around Heart Lake. On Grand Mesa, the best flowers are to the west of the Scenic Byway (CO 65) on the graded road to Land's End. As you drive out the road, you'll pass through various microclimates that mean different flowers as you get toward the edge of the Mesa. We also head out Land's End road and turn left on FR 109 and go out to Flowing Park reservoir and mountain bike the trails out there. Can be challenging to ride in the "spring" (June or July) as the flowers are so tall and thick, it can be hard to see the trail! I've taken a couple of bad spills out there. Maybe I was to busy looking at the flowers rather than concentrating on riding!
I think the two most flowery spots we've visited in CO are on hikes around Maroon Bells. About 1/2 mile east of Buckskin Pass is a high meadow (12,000') that we've been to multiple times. But at 12 miles round trip and an elevation gain of 2400' from Maroon Lake, it makes for a long day of hiking. Plus, add at least an hour in the meadow to take pictures. For almost the entire hike, you'll be looking up at Maroon Bells, and as you climb, you'll see them from different angles. Even if it weren't for the flowers, the hike is worth it to see the contrasting red rocks with the verdant green of the tundra.
The other spot around Maroon Bells is on the west side of West Maroon Pass at around 11,800'. This is an easier area to reach, with a round trip of maybe seven miles and an elevation gain of "only" 1400'. While this is an easier hike for us, from Glenwood it's longer only due to location of the trailhead on the other side of Schofield Pass. (We take the much longer but safer route over Kebler Pass instead.) But if you're camped in the Crested Butte/Gunnison area and don't mind a hike, this is one to take. To reach the trailhead, just continue above Gothic. And if you make it to the fields of flowers, go ahead and climb another 600' and one mile to West Maroon Pass.
I may be secretive about my favorite boondocking locations or my favorite fishing holes, but I'm glad to share my favorite flower areas.
