7 breathtaking summer road trips that come alive with wildflowers 

Each summer, Colorado’s grasslands and high-alpine meadows come alive with wildflowers, creating a striking color contrast with the Rocky Mountains. This celebration of nature’s renewal is a sight to behold, and it’s one you don’t necessarily need to hike or off-road to enjoy. On a paved road or a longer mountain pass, these are the seven incredible, but quick road trips to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Colorado’s wildflowers in bloom. 

Kebler Pass: County Road 12 from Crested Butte to Paonia

Route Length: 30 miles
Road Conditions: Open late May to November
Wildflower Season: Late June through August (July peak season) 

Crested Butte is considered the Wildflower Capital of Colorado and has been home to an annual Wildflower Festival for 40 years. You’re almost guaranteed a wildflower sighting in the area, but one of the most scenic routes is Kebler Pass, part of the West Elk Loop that connects the towns of Carbondale, Crested Butte, Gunnison, and Paonia. 

The drive between Crested Butte and Paonia takes about two hours, and along the way you can stop to picnic at Lake Irwin, hike Three Lakes Trail past wildflower-strewn meadows, or pull off the road and admire the views at Horse Ranch Park Keep an eye out for subalpine larkspur, a species of wildflower that can reach over seven feet tall and commonly grows at the foot of aspen trees. 

Trail Ridge Road: Estes Park to Grand Lake 

Route Length: 48 miles
Road Conditions: Open from Memorial Day to mid-October
Wildflower Season: Mid-June through late July (July peak season) 

Trail Ridge Road inside Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuous paved road in North America,where visitors can see Longs Peak (14,259 feet), the highest point in the park. Stop at Many Parks Curve overlook and near Forest Canyon overlook for the best views. This route traverses an alpine tundra ecosystem above the treeline and offers views of the Continental Divide.

Although the route technically connects Estes Park and Grand Lake, it’s usually traveled as an out-and-back route from Estes Park—allow four to six hours. Timed-entry reservations for the park are often required for certain times during the summer months. 

Over 900 species of wildflowers are found along Trail Ridge Road. A field institute instructor with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy (a steward for Estes Park), Leanne Benton, says visitors will see the state flower, the Colorado Blue Columbine, along the road.

“It was chosen in 1899 by a vote from the state’s school children,” Benton explains. “The blue sepals represent the Colorado blue sky, the white petals represent the snow-covered mountains, and the gold-colored stamens represent gold, the mineral that brought many settlers to the state.” 

Another common species in this area is the arctic gentian, which Benton says rangers call the “boo-hoo flower” because its late-July bloom signals that the first high-altitude snowfalls are approximately six weeks away.

Grand Mesa: Grand Mesa Scenic Byway from Delta to Mesa

Route Length: 63 miles
Road Conditions: Open year-round
Wildflower Season: Mid-June through July (Mid-July peak season at higher elevations)

The flat-topped Grand Mesa near Grand Junction is home to a dense forest dotted with glassy alpine lakes. Although the entire point-to-point route takes about two hours to drive, consider spending a full day to take advantage of activities such as camping, fishing, kayaking, and scenic picnics.

Road trippers will see wildflowers lining the route along the way, but Lands End Observatory is one of the best places to spot them, specifically, the 12-mile detour located near the scenic byway’s midpoint. On the drive to this lookout and ranger observatory, dating back to the 1930s, visitors will see a meadow with red and white paintbrush, lupine, columbine, and other flowers.

(Our guide to the best wildflower hiking trails in the U.S.)

Last Dollar Road: Telluride to Ridgway

Route Length: 21 miles
Road Conditions: Open late May to November
(AWD/high-clearance recommended)
Wildflower Season: Late June through early August (July peak season)

Travelers driving along Last Dollar Road from Ridgway to Telluride witness some of the most dramatic views in the state. The route is a dirt road until you reach the Last Dollar viewpoint just outside of Telluride. An all-wheel-drive vehicle with some clearance is recommended, especially after rainy weather. 

The entire route takes about two hours, but allow extra time to stop and take pictures of cinematic ranchland framed by mountains, including the iconic Wilson Peak, which is featured in Coors beer branding. Expect grassy hillsides with purple lupine, sunflower-like yellow mule’s ear, and paintbrush flowers—among other species.  

Cottonwood Pass: Buena Vista to Almont

Route Length: 57 miles
Road Conditions: Open from April to November
Wildflower Season: Early July through early August (July peak season)

Access the paved Cottonwood Pass via County Road 306 from downtown Buena Vista, and from there expect a 1.5-hour drive to reach Almont. Pause at the summit for sweeping views of San Isabel and Gunnison National Forests, the Collegiate Peaks, and the Sawatch Range, and as you descend, look out for wildflower-dense meadows near Taylor Park. If you’re interested in a short hike along the way, follow the Continental Divide Trail to the Cottonwood Pass Overlook to see wildflowers like purple moss campion that bloom on dense mounds of moss. 

Cameron Pass: Colorado Highway 14 from Poudre Canyon to Gould

Route Length: 75 miles
Road Conditions: Open year-round
Wildflower Season: Mid-June through late July (July peak season) 

Drive the winding Highway 14 up the Poudre Canyon from Fort Collins to reach Cameron Pass in about 1.5 hours. On this route, motorists will see blooming fireweed wildflowers in burn scars from the Cameron Peak Fire of 2020—a window into nature’s rebirth. These carpets of magenta blooms aren’t just pretty to look at but also work to stabilize the soil after a wildfire.

From Cameron Pass, travelers can make their way toward the small mountain town of Steamboat Springs and its nearby hot springs. Stop to stretch your legs and hike the accessible 2.3-mile Lake Agnes Trail or any of the trails in the Rawah Wilderness, where hikers may spot elephant’s head blooms with long trunk-like petals, paintbrush, columbine, and yellow avalanche lilies. 

(These are 10 of the world’s best destinations for blooms.)

Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge: Commerce City to Gateway Road along the Wildlife Drive

Route Length: 11 miles
Road Conditions: Open year-round
Wildflower Season: Late May through early July (June peak season) 

If you’re short on time and visiting the Denver area, head to Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge to witness a prairie, northeast of the city, covered in wildflowers. The Wildlife Drive through the refuge takes about an hour and offers visitors the opportunity to see bison, deer, prairie dogs, and raptors. Look for the Rocky Mountain bee plant, a bushy pink bloom that is one of the most important wildflower species to bloom here because it’s highly attractive to pollinators. 

Viewing Wildflowers Responsibly

Wildflowers aren’t just a photogenic sign of seasonal renewal in the mountains, but also an essential part of the ecosystem. Maggie Gaddis, executive director of the Colorado Native Plant Society, says, “If our habitats are in decline, we're also in decline.” She adds that wildflowers specifically provide food and habitat for pollinators, which are essential for plant reproduction and the food chain.

“One of the best ways to celebrate our diverse and beautiful flora in Colorado is to educate yourself about the sheer volume of plant species that live here,” says Dr. Jennifer Bousselot, associate professor of horticulture at Colorado State University. She recommends not disturbing the wildflowers, even if they look like weeds, to protect them. The key is to follow the guiding principle: “Take only photographs and leave only footprints.”