Exploring Crested Butte’s Stunning Wildflower Season: A Guide

Wildflower season in Colorado is coming up fast and if you wait until it's too late in the summer those impressive blooms and bursts of color will pass you by.

Crested Butte, Colorado sits at an elevation of 8,885 feet. It is a town of about 1600 residents who all take pride in living in the wildflower capital of the state. Scroll on to learn more about when to visit Crested Butte and what you'll find there during wildflower season.

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Wildflower Season in Crested Butte, Colorado

Wildflower season in Crested Butte, Colorado comes in three phases. The early season starts in May and goes into June. Peak season happens from late June into July and is when the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival takes place. While you can still view wildflowers in August, it is getting late in the season and the numbers of wildflowers will start to decline.

Wildflower Hikes in Crested Butte, Colorado

Judd Falls Trail - Enjoy the lupine and goldeneye flowers on this easy hike to a waterfall in the Gunnison National Forest just outside Crested Butte.

Snodgrass Mountain Trail - You'll cross several meadows full of wildflowers if you take the 5-mile walk up Snodgrass. It's a wonderful hike in July, and again in the fall as the colors change.

Crested Butte Lower Loop Trail - Hike or ride bikes through this easy 7-mile stretch which is another great spot for viewing wildflowers in the Gunnison National Forest.

Upper Lower to Budd Trail Loop - This easy hike offers a shaded hike through Alpine trees with tons of wildflowers in July. River views add even more scenery.

Wildflowers Growing in Crested Butte, Colorado

The Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is being held this year from July 7th to July 16th. Some of the wildflowers you are likely to see growing in Crested Butte include:

Lupine (Lupinus Argenteus)

Goldeneye (Heliomeris Multiflora)

Rose Wild (Rosa Woodsii)

If you visit the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival be sure to grab one of the available guides (like this one) that can help show you even more of the kinds of flowers you'll encounter while hiking around Crested Butte.