USDA Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers

Rocky Mountain Region

lupine and other wildflowers blooming on the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.
Lupine and other wildflowers bloom in profusion on the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. Photo by Jim Hughes.

The Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service includes eleven national forests and grasslands in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. The ecological and biological diversity on these lands is amazing: ranging from the many peaks above 14,000 feet in elevation down from alpine tundra, through coniferous and aspen forests, to pinyon-juniper and sagebrush, or expansive grasslands as low as 2,500 feet. Wildflower viewing opportunities abound. Peak blooming season generally progresses from lower to higher elevations.

Wildflower Viewing Areas for the Rocky Mountain Region

Viewing Area National Forest or Grassland Region State
Mt. Goliath - Mt. Evans Arapaho and Roosevelt Rocky Mountain Colorado
Burgess Junction Bighorn Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Cloud Peak Skyway Bighorn Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Story/Penrose Trail Bighorn Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Cascade Springs, Creek, and Falls Black Hills Rocky Mountain South Dakota
Cement Ridge Black Hills Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Crow Peak Trail Black Hills Rocky Mountain South Dakota
Hell Canyon Black Hills Rocky Mountain South Dakota
White Spring Area Black Hills Rocky Mountain South Dakota
David Canyon Road Cimarron and Commanche Grasslands Rocky Mountain Colorado
Point-of-Rocks Cimarron and Commanche Grasslands Rocky Mountain Kansas
American Basin Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rocky Mountain Colorado
Grand Mesa Visitor Center Wildflower Garden Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rocky Mountain Colorado
Lizard Head Pass & San Juan Skyway Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rocky Mountain Colorado
West Elk Scenic Byway Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rocky Mountain Colorado
Yankee Boy Basin Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rocky Mountain Colorado
Buffalo Pass Medicine Bow-Routt Rocky Mountain Colorado
Lynx Pass Medicine Bow-Routt Rocky Mountain Colorado
Snowy Range Scenic Byway Medicine Bow-Routt Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Vedauwoo Recreation Area on Pole Mountain Medicine Bow-Routt Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Fort Pierre National Grassland Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Rocky Mountain South Dakota
McKelvie Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Rocky Mountain Nebraska
National Grasslands Visitor Center Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Rocky Mountain South Dakota
Pine Ridge Ranger District Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Rocky Mountain Nebraska
Toadstool Geological Park Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Rocky Mountain Nebraska
Boreas Pass Pike and San Isabel Rocky Mountain Colorado
Mosca Pass Pike and San Isabel Rocky Mountain Colorado
Pikes Peak Pike and San Isabel Rocky Mountain Colorado
Shelf Lake Trail Pike and San Isabel Rocky Mountain Colorado
Embargo Creek Rio Grande Rocky Mountain Colorado
Grayback Mountain Rio Grande Rocky Mountain Colorado
Clay Butte Fire Tower, Beartooth Scenic Byway Shoshone Rocky Mountain Wyoming
East Summit Area, Beartooth Scenic Byway Shoshone Rocky Mountain Wyoming
North Fork of the Shoshone River Shoshone Rocky Mountain Wyoming
Clark Ridge White River Rocky Mountain Colorado

Rare Plant Conservation Success Stories

Wildflower Photographs

Cary’s Beardtongue, Penstemon caryi.
Cary's Beardtongue (Penstemon caryi). Bighorn National Forest. Wyoming. Photo by Andrew Kratz.

Wheel Milkweed, Asclepias uncialis.
Wheel Milkweed (Asclepias uncialis). Pike & San Isabel NF. Colorado. Photo by Steve Olson.

Rocky Mountain Thistle, Cirsium perplexans.
Rocky Mountain Thistle (Cirsium perplexans). White River National Forest. Colorado. Photo by Phil Nyland.

U.S. Forest Service
Rangeland Management
Botany Program
1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop Code: 1103
Washington DC 20250-1103

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Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/rockymountain/index.php
Last modified: June 07, 2012