Wildflower hikes, places to see Colorado’s blooms in late July

DENVER (KDVR) — With a mild forecast ahead , this weekend will be a great time to view wildflowers in the Colorado mountains.

Wildflowers are at peak bloom in many high-elevation areas in late July, and the flowers will be blooming through the rest of the month. In some areas, flowers will even bloom into the fall, until the first hard freeze brings their growth to a halt.

Colorado State University Assistant Professor of Horticulture Jennifer Bousselot said one of the nice things about wildflowers blooming during the heat of the summer months is that temperatures are milder in the mountains, so it’s not too hot to take a gander and enjoy views of the flora.

Where are Colorado wildflowers at peak bloom in late July?

Right now, Bousselot explained that wildflowers are at peak bloom at high elevations, but not the highest elevations in the state. Here are some areas she listed:

• Crested Butte
• Grand Mesa
• Summit County
• Vail
• Beaver Creek
• Eagle

Experts told FOX31 that just about any trail in those areas is good option for wildflower viewing right now.

“The wildflowers are reaching their peak right now on the lower mountain at Crested Butte Mountain Resort , and the views are absolutely stunning,” Julie Block, Communications Manager at Crested Butte Mountain Resort told FOX31. “Guests visiting later in July will have the opportunity to experience peak bloom at higher elevations.”

How have recent dry conditions impacted wildflower blooms?

June 2024 was some 17 times drier than last June in Denver , but Bousselot said the dry weather won’t have a huge effect on flowers at high elevations thanks to a continuously melting snowpack.

“It has curtailed our summer flowering at lower elevations, but I think higher elevations are still pretty good,” Bousselot said.

Wildflower viewing hikes to take this weekend

The first hiking area that Bousselot recommends for viewing wildflowers right now is Scofield Pass , outside of Crested Butte . She added that one of her graduate students said wildflowers are bountiful this year in the San Juan Mountains and areas near Durango.

Here are some trails that Vail Resorts recommends visiting soon for wildflower viewing:

• Meander Trail – Crested Butte
• Horseshoe Bowl Hiking Trail – Breckenridge
• Grand Escape – Vail
• Ridge Route Through Game Creek Bowl – Vail
• Beaver Lake Trail – Beaver Creek
• Village to Village Trail and Allie’s Way – Beaver Creek

More wildflower hike options:

• Daisy Pass – Crested Butte
• Lupine Trail – Crested Butte
• Emerald Lake Trail – Rocky Mountain National Park
• Nymph Lake Trail – Rocky Mountain National Park
• Crater Lake – Aspen
• Cathedral Lake Trail – Aspen
• Sawmill Reservoir – Breckenridge
• Upper Straight Creek Trail – Dillon
• Lily Pad Lake Trail – Silverthorne
• Ptarmigan Trail – Silverthorne
• Wheeler Lakes – Frisco
• Bambi’s and Sawtooth Loop – Gunnison

“Perhaps the most recognizable wildflower in the entire Gunnison Valley is the Lupine. These flowers can grow up to three feet tall and feature columns of small, pea-like clusters that are a vibrant blue or purple color.”

COTREX and All Trails are great sources for finding wildflower hikes across the state.

How much longer are wildflowers in bloom?

Bousselot said there are more blooms to look forward to this year.

Flowers in the highest elevations of the Centennial State are starting to bloom now, so viewing in those areas will be optimal in the coming weeks. Wildflowers will continue to bloom in the mountains until the first freeze comes along.

Plus, another round of wildflowers have yet to bloom at lower elevations — Bousselot explained that the Front Range experiences a bloom in the spring and another smaller bloom in the fall. This is because warmer temperatures at lower elevations give the species there the opportunity to bloom again. The fall bloom could occur as early as August or even through September.

“It’s just a different set of plants,” Bousselot explained. “It just has to do with the way those plants evolved, that’s just their time for reproduction to occur.”

She said the flowers in the spring tend to bring out blues, pinks and purples while the flowers in the fall exhibit more warm colors like orange and red, however, she noted that flowers of any color of the rainbow are always out there.

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