{"id":4381,"date":"2015-09-07T18:56:42","date_gmt":"2015-09-07T18:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/?p=4381"},"modified":"2022-09-21T19:56:01","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T19:56:01","slug":"san-juan-mountains-wildflower-bloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/san-juan-mountains-wildflower-bloom\/","title":{"rendered":"San Juan Mountains Wildflower Bloom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Some of the most spectacular and colorful wildflower displays that we\u2019ve ever seen were in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.<\/strong>\u00a0 The blooms typically occur during mid-summer at elevations above 11,000 feet.\u00a0 On this trip, which was the last week of July 2015, we were lucky to explore this area after a long period of rainfall.\u00a0 We\u2019re not sure if it was because of the rain, but the week we visited, we saw so many different types of wildflowers, and large quantities of them, that we were incredibly awestruck.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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In this article, we\u2019ll explain where we encountered these outbursts of wildflowers.\u00a0 Where flowers once bloomed prolifically before, the old blooms will drop their seeds and hopefully, if the conditions are right, repeat these same spectacular blooms in later years.\u00a0 The maps in our virtual video tour on YouTube below, as well as the map at the end of this article, will point out where we saw these blooms.<\/p>

The San Juan Mountains Area<\/h2>

The areas we visited are located near a trio of former mining and railroad towns: Ouray, Silverton and Telluride.\u00a0 What makes the San Juan Mountains unique when compared to other high and rugged mountain ranges, like the Sierra Nevada\u2019s of California, is that you can drive into the San Juan\u2019s and enjoy their beauty up-close and personal.\u00a0 Although there is one main paved highway that will take you through some wild mountain scenery, most of the roads into the mountains are rugged and unpaved \u2013 meaning you need to have a 4WD vehicle and know how to use it.\u00a0 It\u2019s on these rugged roads where you\u2019ll see the best scenery and wildflower displays.<\/p>

We opted to stay a week in Ouray, the \u201cJeeping capital of the World\u201d.\u00a0 We stayed an entire week, because it takes that long to see and explore the different areas located high in the mountains.\u00a0 From Ouray, dozens of roads lead off the pavement and up into high mountain basins and passes.\u00a0 Each of the basins or passes takes almost an entire day to explore.\u00a0 The views are spectacular where ever you look \u2013 up at the steep mountains or down from atop the mountains onto the landscapes below.<\/p>

The wildflower blooms that we encountered were at higher elevations.\u00a0 This is most likely because we were visiting in late July.\u00a0 Perhaps other flowers bloom at lower elevations earlier in the season.\u00a0 When we were on a road that passed the 11,000 foot mark, there were open meadows loaded with flowers.\u00a0 It was breathtaking!\u00a0 We noticed by reading our GPS that in most areas the flowers would begin blooming around 11,000 feet and fizzled out around 11,800 feet.\u00a0 It was just a few hundred feet higher to the timber line and the stark, tree-less landscapes.\u00a0 Even on the stark and barren mountain tops above 12,000 feet, small plants and flowers, known as tundra, clung to the rocks.<\/p>

Planning Your Trip<\/h3>

Trying to plan a trip to the San Juan Mountains to catch a wildflower bloom is very tricky and is similar to guessing when to visit and see Colorado\u2019s spectacular fall colors.\u00a0 Since it is very common to have winter snow blocking the roads until late June, as well as periods of monsoonal rains in early summer, it\u2019s best to plan your trip for the last week of July or early August.\u00a0 This should increase your odds of being there during the wildflower season at the higher elevations.\u00a0 Just remember though, you can never second guess Mother Nature!<\/p>

Another attribute of the San Juan\u2019s that you can see anytime (unless they are covered in snow) are the colorful peaks of the Red Mountains (known simply as Red Mountain #1, #2 and #3).\u00a0 These three peaks are located halfway between Silverton and Ouray and, like many of the mountains in this area, are abundant with minerals that have oxidized (rusted).\u00a0 These bright orange minerals give the mountains their name (although we think they should be called the Orange Mountains).\u00a0 We\u2019ve made no modifications to our pictures \u2013 this is how they really look.\u00a0 The drive over Corkscrew Gulch is a good way to get a good look at these unique mountains.<\/p>

The pictures we\u2019ve included in this article, along with what we included in our virtual video tour, are just a small sample of what we saw and enjoyed.\u00a0 However, no picture can really do justice to the genuine beauty of these mountains and their environment.<\/p>

More…<\/p>

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Pictures<\/h3>

Below are some pictures of what you will see along the way.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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