Buh-bye, doom scrolling. When it’s July in Colorado, we relish in bloom scrolling.
Nanette Kuich, education director for the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, and other experts say the 2022 wildflower season is approaching its peak, so we asked readers to send us photos from recent hikes where they’ve seen them. And boy, did y’all show up.
We received dozens of submissions showcasing where wildflowers are blooming across the state, from the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range to Boulder and beyond. The bottom line: It’s a great time to get out and smell the wild roses, prickly poppies and blue columbines.
Here’s where Denver Post readers say the wildflowers are popping right now. (Scroll through the galleries to see pictures of the wildflowers and where they were taken.)
Near Boulder
Readers like Diana Lee and Rachael Shayne said the trails in Boulder proper are blooming right now, while Jim Thomas and Bob Berger said the surrounding mountain areas including Buchanan Pass and the Indian Peaks Wilderness are, too.
“I was out trying to climb Skywalker Couloir of South Arapaho Peak a couple of weekends ago. We got shut down by fog and lightning, but I saw this (blue columbine) and it made all the difference as we made our way back to the truck,” Berger said.
Douglas County
Brenda Lucas has been trekking across Douglas County, finding wildflowers all along the way. Her recommendations include Dawson Butte Open Space (Castle Rock), Perry Park (near Larkspur) and Sandstone Ranch Open Space (Larkspur).
Golden and Mount Evans
Whether you’re headed to Golden Gate Canyon State Park, White Ranch Park or hiking along Clear Creek, Golden is lush with wildflowers right now, according to Lynn Fritz and Ellen Mackey.
Variety is the spice of life a little further into the mountains. Reader Fred Bramhall photographed more than a dozen different species of wildflowers on a recent trip to Summit Lake near Mount Evans.
Eisenhower Tunnel area
Celia Greenman recently spotted wildflowers along the Straight Creek Trail, while Mackey found them in Herman Gulch — both near the Eisenhower Tunnel. Go a little further west to the Wheeler Lakes Trail, near Copper Mountain, for additional wildflower hiking, Greenman said.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is a well-known destination for fall leaf-peeping, but it’s also spectacular for seeking out wildflowers, according to Vasa Dasan, who visited during the Fourth of July weekend.
Chapman Reservoir
Sarah Beatty recently went camping near Chapman Reservoir in the White River National Forest, where the blue columbines were in full bloom.
Pagosa Springs
Shawn Pro’s dog, Tommy, happily posed among a patch of the state flower of Colorado, the blue columbine. If you’re looking for hiking recommendations, we recently asked Ben and Christi Dozier of the mountain home renovation show “Building Roots” for a few. They suggested the Piedra River Trail and Opal Lake, among others.
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Judith Logel has a cabin near the Wet Mountains near Westcliffe, where she photographed several varieties of wildflowers. “In spite of the dryness in the Wet Mountains near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, we still see the beauty of wildflowers tucked away in the grasses,” she said. “The field of thelesperma is on SR-255 out of Silver Cliff.”
Mike Otis was also recently out that way and spotted a single (but vivacious) sego lily on Cordova Pass.
Have a wildflower hike or pictures you’d like to share? We’ll continue to update this story, so send pictures to [email protected] with your name and the location where they were shot.
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