Top 5 Places to See Wildflowers in Durango
Best Hikes For Beautiful Springtime & Summer Scenery
Like a scene from the Sound of Music, you will be singing, the hills are alive with these 5 breathtaking hikes in Durango. Featuring alpine lakes surrounded by mountain peaks and blooming wildflowers, you will want to include one of these hikes on your Durango vacation. The wildflower growing season is short so plan to visit between mid-June and the end of July, so make sure you plan on seeing the wildflowers in Durango this year.

Columbine Lake
Columbine Lake trail is a strenuous hike that pays off big with unbelievable views of wildflowers growing in the alpine meadows as you make your way to Columbine Lake. Surrounded by wildflowers, the lake itself tucked in glacial bowl surrounded by 13,000 foot mountain peaks.
Emerald Lake
Located in the Weminuche Wilderness, Emerald Lake is an alpine lake located off the Pine River Trail near Vallecito. The alpine meadows are full of blooming wildflowers of all shapes and sizes on this 10 mile hike.
Emerald LakeVallecito Lake/Creek
A day hike perfect for wildflower viewing, this hike follows Vallecito Creek down into a valley scattered with wildflowers. The alpine meadows along the creek are full of blooming wildflowers from June – September, peaking in July and August.
Vallecito Lake
Engineer Mountain Trail
Close to Durango, Engineer Mountain trail is a popular hike in the summertime. As the trail nears the top, it opens into an alpine meadow filled with wild Columbine, orchids, primrose, coneflowers and more. The views are spectacular!
Ice Lakes Trail
This trail winds through old growth forest and meadows to the alpine tundra where hikers are greeted wild big horn sheep, sweeping Rocky Mountain views and an impressive array of wildfowers. As with all alpine hikes, there is a short growing season from mid-June to the end of July.