As I write this in May, 2008, I am sad to say that I have only been shooting Colorado’s wildflowers for the past four years, so my experience is fairly limited, and I do not consider myself an expert on everything there is to know about this subject matter. Now that this disclaimer is out of the way, I will say that I am comfortable and confident in my limited outings to list the information I have on this page. I know it will be of good help for out-of-staters and in-staters alike trying to plan their vacation to this area.

Though Crested Butte is known as the wildflower capital of Colorado, and while it is a great area that is always enjoyable, in my view, the San Juans' flower offering far surpasses what the Crested Butte area offers. To clarify, I believe what really makes the San Juans so flower-friendly, or scenery-friendly in all other regards as well, is the fact that there are numerous spots so close together that offer super easy access. So, even if you have limited time to spend, you’ll have a lot of great stuff available to you. I should also note that it is not like the flower concentration is higher in the San Juans in relation to the rest of the state, because most of the alpine basins do have similar color shows at the same time.

Unfortunately, I can't go too much into detail on flower species, as I mainly know them as red, yellow, purple, and so on! Sure, I know my columbine, Indian paintbrush, lupine, and a couple others, but beyond that, I think my masculine side takes over and limits any further knowledge of these delicate species! So, you'll have to let my descriptions and pictures be the judge to see if these areas are right for you.

When To Go

Just as many say it is hard to predict the timing of fall colors, many say it is hard to predict when the flowers will bloom. I don't think that could be further from the truth. The flowers have been out at the same exact time the last four years—and that includes a year that saw great snowpack (2004-2005), and one with a very sub-par year (2005-2006). After that very dry winter of 2005-06, of which only 2002 was the only drier year recently, the summer rains fell virtually daily and the flowers were still awesome. Thus, it is my belief that the winter snow has little to do with the quality of bloom, but rather how much rain falls in that month's time between mid-June and flower time after the snow recedes.

So, when are the dates? The main range that I have given others is July 20th through the 31st. I’m sure either side of that range by a couple of days are just as good, as I’ve seen no discernable difference in the flower bloom over those days. I set aside my own week-long flower vacation annually on these dates, so they'll be sure to work well for you, too.

The Places To See

The following four locations are just a sampling of what the San Juans offer, but they are amongst the hotter spots for photographers. I may decide to add additional locations to this page in the future, but we'll see. Hopefully, this will be enough to give you a decent idea of what to expect across the area. If you would like further suggestions on other locations, as always, feel free to email me.

Yankee Boy Basin

Yankee Boy Basin is the undisputed icon locale for Colorado wildflowers, which is accessed out of Ouray. Though it is no doubt a wonderful spot, I feel the flower production has been very underwhelming. I can only guess that in years prior to 2004 it has produced a much thicker display, given its Mecca-like reputation, but it certainly hasn't been anything to write home about since. This is certainly not to say great flower images can't be made here, or immensely enjoyed by the common tourist, as that is the furthest thing from the case; it is just that that they haven't been very profuse in relation to other areas. Yankee Boy is photographed well at either end of the day at various spots within the basin. High clearance vehicles are pretty much required to reach the end of the road that ends at the Blue Lakes Pass and Mt. Sneffels trailhead. Technically, 4WD isn't so much of a requirement going up, though it does help at one spot near the top, but low range will help greatly descending so you don't have to ride your brakes.

Kings crown along Sneffels Creek

Blue columbine

Even if the flowers are underwhelming, the basin does offer a number great general mountain vistas that you can aim your camera at, such as this one in the upper reaches looking towards Potosi Peak

Governor Basin

The road that leads up to Governor Basin shoots off at a signed intersection the beginning of the Yankee Boy road after the Sneffels townsite. It's a fair bit more difficult to navigate than Yankee Boy for the uninitiated fairly early on, then has some pretty narrow shelf sections at the top. But, if you have the means and the nerve to try it, it is a side trip that will be well worth your time, and will be far less populous than Yankee Boy due to its relative access difficulty. There will be some vehicles that come by every now and again, but I've spent many wonderful quiet hours alone up here. And, even though Governor Basin lies just on the other side of Stony Mountain from Yankee Boy, I feel the scenery seems to be at least two times better. I can't help but feel the similarity of the classic Machu Picchu scene every time I'm up here with Stony Mountain taking the place of Huayna Picchu, the mountain that rises overhead of the Incan city, due to its form and green-blanketed surface. In addition, Mt. Sneffels' rise is so much more dramatic from this perspective than in Yankee Boy, the latter of which from where it is kind of tough to tell that there is a fourteener standing there. Governor Basin is definitely one of my favorite spots in the San Juans and there is plenty of directions to shoot at sunrise, sunset, and throughout the day. From great views of Teakettle Mountain and Potosi Peak to the northwest, to the St. Sophia Ridge to the southwest, of which Telluride lies just virtually on the other side. It has a great selection of flowers on its slopes, huge boulders, and the Mountain Top Mine at the end of the road. There is a road that takes off to the south that heads on the other side of the ridge into Sidney Basin, which also has some wonderful flowers that I would suggest visiting as well.

I have more details about the route here.

Indian paintbrush on the slopes of Governor Basin looking out to Stony Mountain, center.
Mt. Sneffels is on the left covered over, and Potosi Peak is on the right, partly obscured.

Potosi Peak (13,786')

Red and yellow Indian paintbrush light up the hillside

American Basin

American Basin is perhaps the second most famous wildflower location in the state. It lies near Cinnamon Pass between Animas Forks and Lake City, and below the shoulder of one of our fourteeners, Handies Peak. Though signs indicate the route is 4WD, it doesn't require it. Mid-grade clearance with 2WD will generally be sufficient. The most difficult part of the road is the first 30 feet that lies above Animas Forks where the road intersects with the North Fork cutoff road that heads over to Engineer Pass. The basin lies in a fairly deep, narrow valley that lies east-west, so photographing at sunrise and sunset will be equally good. The string of peaks that provide the basin's headwall are made up of unnamed thirteeners. While you're here, and if you have the time and are ambitious enough, you can take the nice hike (up to Sloan lake at the base of the peaks.

Always one of the better columbine displays around

Headwaters of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River makes its way through the fields of flowers

American Basin garden

Stony Gulch

Stony Gulch, below the Silverton side of Stony Pass, has really been the one place that has stood out from all the other places that I've been to in terms of the flower display. The flowers have been off the charts! Much of the tundra area has some good stands, with the thickest concentrations being on the inside of the second hairpin loop below the pass, and in the gulch proper below that. Accessed from a few miles east of Silverton, the dirt road up is as about as easy as it gets, in terms of the San Juan back roads.

I have more details of the Stony Pass route here.

Below Stony Pass looking down Stony Gulch

A rock provides the centerpiece to this colorful display

The slope of Canby Mountain in upper Stony Gulch