Ultimate Guide to Wildflowers in Breckenridge

Ultimate Guide to Wildflowers in Breckenridge

Updated May 5, 2026

Although the summers are short in Breckenridge, they sure are sweet. From mid-June to August, you can witness a stunning array of colors as Colorado wildflowers come to life and blanket the mountains and valleys. Discover the most common native flowers and the best hikes to find them on this summer. Plus, for the first time in 2026, Breckenridge has an official Wildflower Week!

Pink & Purple Wildflowers

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Colorado Blue Columbine

The Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea) is the state flower of Colorado. It is a native wildflower that belongs to the buttercup family. This perennial plant blooms throughout the summer, showcasing beautiful blue flowers with contrasting white or yellow centers. It is known for its unique and intricate shape, with spurs extending from the petals.

Silvery Lupine

Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus) is a native wildflower found in various parts of North America, including Breckenridge. Belonging to the Pea family, it is a perennial plant that blooms all summer. Silvery Lupine is characterized by its silvery-green foliage and tall flower spikes, which bear pea-like flowers in shades of purple, pink, or blue and attract butterflies and other pollinators.

One-Sided Penstemon

One-Sided Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus) is a native wildflower found in the plantain family. This perennial plant blooms throughout the summer, producing tubular-shaped flowers in shades of purple or pink. One-Sided Penstemon is known for its attractive, asymmetrical flower arrangement where the blooms all face one side of the stem.

Mountain Harebell

Mountain Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) is a native wildflower from the bellflower family. It is known for its slender stems and delicate, bell-shaped flowers that range in color from pale lavender to deep purple. Mountain Harebell blooms all summer, dotting the alpine meadows and rocky slopes with its charming blossoms.

Tall Chiming Bells

Tall Chiming Bells (Mertensia ciliata) is a native wildflower belonging to the borage family (Boraginaceae). It blooms all summer, showcasing delicate, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink or purple. The flowers hang from slender stems, creating an elegant and graceful appearance. Tall Chiming Bells is commonly found in moist, shaded areas along stream banks and in meadows, adding beauty to the wildflower landscape.

Wild Iris

Wild Iris (Iris missouriensis) is a native wildflower that can be found along the Blue River and other wetland areas in Breckenridge. It blooms in early summer, showcasing elegant and distinctive iris-like flowers. Wild Iris comes in various shades of purple and pink, with intricate patterns and markings on its petals.

Elephant Head

Elephant Head (Pedicularis groenlandica) is a native wildflower that blooms during the summer months. It belongs to the broomrape/figwort family and is known for its unique and intriguing flowers. The flower structure resembles the head of an elephant, with a hood-like upper petal and a long, curved lower petal. Elephant Head displays pinkish-purple flowers.

Fireweed

Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is a captivating wildflower that is often associated with disturbed areas and open meadows. It is characterized by its tall, spiky stem and vibrant pink to magenta flowers. Fireweed blooms throughout the summer, and its flowers gradually progress upwards. As the name suggests, Fireweed is often one of the first plants to colonize areas after wildfires.

As tempting as it might be, please look, but don’t touch! Resist the urge to pick wildflowers as it is damaging to fragile ecosystems. Leave them for the next person (or insect or animal) to enjoy! We can all do our part to Leave No Trace.

Yellow Wildflowers

Old Man of the Mountain

The Old Man of the Mountain (Hymenoxys grandiflora), also known as Alpine Sunflower, is a native wildflower that blooms from mid to late summer. It belongs to the aster family. This perennial plant is characterized by its vibrant yellow flowers with a dark central disk.

Bird’s Foot Trefoil

Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is a wildflower that blooms in early summer. Although it is not native to the area, it can be found in Breckenridge. Bird’s Foot Trefoil belongs to the pea family and features clusters of bright yellow flowers.

Golden Aster

Golden Aster (Heterotheca villosa) is a native wildflower known for its brilliant yellow flowers. It belongs to the aster family and is often found in mountainous regions. Golden Aster blooms throughout the summer, displaying numerous golden-yellow petals surrounding a central disk.

July is the best time to visit Breckenridge for peak wildflower viewing!

Red Wildflowers

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Indian Paintbrush

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.) is a group of wildflowers known for their vibrant and striking colors. There are several species of Indian Paintbrush, and they belong to the figwort family. These perennial plants bloom throughout the summer, showcasing vibrant red, orange, or pink bracts surrounding small, inconspicuous flowers. The bracts often resemble paintbrushes dipped in bright colors, hence the name.

Scarlet Gilia

Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) is a striking wildflower native to Colorado and the phlox family. Its vibrant red tubular flowers, arranged in dense clusters atop tall, slender stems, create a visually captivating display. Found in diverse habitats such as meadows, slopes, and open woodlands, Scarlet Gilia attracts pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies.

Indian Blanket

Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella), also known as Firewheel, is a native wildflower belonging to the aster family. It showcases vibrant and intricate patterns of red, orange, and yellow on its daisy-like flowers. Indian Blanket blooms throughout the summer and is known for its tolerance to dry and sunny conditions.

Oriental Poppy

While the Oriental Poppy isn’t native to Breckenridge, they are famous in town! The plant grows in large bunches, and its long stalks end with an enormous red or pink poppy flower. Miners brought these flowers to Breckenridge, which is why you will find them around historic Main Street.

White Wildflowers

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Cow Parsnip

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum) is a tall, perennial flowering plant native to North America. Belonging to the carrot family, it features large, deeply lobed leaves resembling maple leaves that can reach up to 2 feet in diameter. Its large, umbrella-shaped flower heads attract a wide range of insects, including bees, butterflies, and beetles, which help in pollination.

Mariposa Lily

Mariposa Lily (Calochortus spp.) is a group of wildflowers known for their stunning and elegant blooms. These perennial plants typically bloom in early summer, showcasing large, showy flowers in shades of pink, purple, or white. Mariposa Lily flowers have distinctive petal patterns and often feature colorful markings and delicate fringed edges. These wildflowers can be found in meadows and alpine regions.

Umbrella Desert Buckwheat

Umbrella Desert Buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium) are small, cream-colored or yellow flowers that are native to Colorado. These flowers are small and rounded, with four petals. You can find these flowers growing all summer and as they age, the flowers turn reddish or pink.

Alpine Phlox

Alpine phlox (phlox condensata), is a low-growing perennial wildflower that is native to Colorado. Its fragrant clusters of pink, lavender, or white flowers and narrow evergreen leaves create stunning displays against rocky landscapes. Blooming during the summer months, this hardy plant attracts pollinators and is a popular choice for alpine gardens.

While these are just a few of our favorite wildflowers in Breckenridge, there are over 3,200 species of wildflowers in Colorado, so be sure to keep an eye out on your next hike to see what else you can find. If you’re ready to experience Colorado wildflower season in person, check out discounted lodging here and start planning your next trip!

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Top 5 Hikes in Summit County


Quandary Peak trail head near Breckenridge, Colorado

Breckenridge is surrounded by miles and miles of hiking trails that offer a fantastic variety of terrain, elevation and difficulty levels. So often we have written blogs over the past years that highlight trails (as we should) that are pretty accessible to a large majority of the hiking population. This time, we thought we’d mix it up and highlight five hikes with bragging rights.

Hiking is one of the most popular summer activities in Breckenridge and Summit County. We realized that we have never really highlighted what we think are the hardest hikes in Breckenridge and Summit County. With so many towering peaks surrounding us, we thought it would be cool to talk about the truly painful, lung-busting, leg-burning hikes you can go out and bag. Here are our picks for the top 5 badass hikes in Summit County.

Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain seems to sit all by itself to the east of downtown Breckenridge. “Baldy,” as it is most often called, rises an impressive 13,684 feet above sea level and is a popular summer and winter hike. While Baldy looks like a single peak it is actually a six-mile-long ridgeline that divides into two sections. To the southeast is Boreas Mountain, which rises to 13,082 feet, and to the northwest is Bald Mountain, which is the “true” summit at 13,684 feet.

Baldy is a fairly gentle hike but it is long, has steep sections, is mostly exposed above treeline and reaches almost 14,000 feet, so it is an elevation challenge. The easiest way to hike Baldy is to start at the top of Boreas Pass. For a badass hike it is a pretty easy climb to the summit. That being said, it is a 2,700-foot elevation gain in just three miles so that’s like a 270-story building. It’s completely exposed above treeline, so even mild days offer a nice breeze and chilly temps. All in all it is an amazing view and a pretty easy day hike.

To reach the trailhead: Drive to the south end of Breckenridge on Route 9. Turn left onto Boreas Pass Road. At 3.3 miles the pavement ends but the road is well-graded and is passable by any car. At 9.5 miles from the traffic light, you will reach Boreas Pass.

Greys and Torreys Peaks

Greys and Torreys make up the “Twin Towers” of Colorado’s Front Range and are two of the three “Fourteeners” that touch Summit County. Torreys is the higher of the two peaks and sits at an impressive 14,267 feet. While these peaks are in and accessible from Summit County the easiest trail starts a little east back through the Eisenhower Tunnel in Clear Creek County. Both mountains offer multiple ways to ascend. Their proximity to Denver and relative ease (for a Fourteener) make this hike wildly popular, so go early on weekends if you want to find parking and also to avoid getting struck by lightning in the frequent afternoon storms that pop up in the summer.

Greys and Torreys get their “badassery” not so much from the altitude, which is super high, or the pitch of the climb or even the 3,600-foot vertical rise you have to climb in order to summit, but rather from the 9-mile round trip involved in getting there and back. The distance of this hike puts it over the edge.

To reach the trailhead: Take I-70 to the Bakerville exit #221. Drive south over to the dirt parking area near the start of Forest Road 189. Follow the dirt road three miles to the summer trailhead. Stay straight and follow the sign for the Grays Peak trailhead. Continue another two miles to the trailhead at 11,280 feet. There are restrooms and a few dispersed camping spots near the parking area.

Quandary Peak

Quandary Peak is the third Fourteener that touches Summit County and is a bit more difficult than Greys and Torreys. Although Quandary is pretty much the same elevation as Greys and Torreys at 14,265 feet, the climb of 3,450 vertical feet is condensed into about half the distance of Greys and Torreys. The easiest way up is the east ridge which starts south of Breckenridge and ascends the east side of the mountain for just under three miles to the summit.

After you clear the trees there is a steep pitch that delivers you onto a thin windswept ridgeline that runs west up to the summit. There is a “false” summit you will be looking at and when you reach that you will realize there is still another thousand feet or so you get to climb to reach the summit. Once you are up on the ridge, don’t get too close to the south side. There are 50-degree slopes dropping thousands of feet to Blue Lakes.

To reach the trailhead: Drive 8 miles south of Breckenridge on Highway 9. Turn right on (Blue Lakes) Road. Drive a few hundred yards and turn right on the 851 (McCullough Gulch) Road. Drive 0.1 mile to the signed trailhead and small parking area. If the trailhead lot is full it is ok to park on the side of the 851 road or the overflow lot but don’t park on the side of the 850 road, in front of homes.

Peak 1

This hike and the next aren’t Fourteeners but are arguably the two most difficult hikes in Summit County. It is the crushing pitch and vertical rise in such short distances that make these two hikes so badass. Peak 1 is the iconic pointy mountain that sits just above Frisco and is clearly visible from almost anywhere in Summit County. Peak 1 is only 12,805 feet but it offers an almost 4,000-foot climb in about three and a half miles. As with all the badass hikes it is primarily above treeline and totally exposed to all of the elements. The final 700 feet is a hair-raising knife-thin ridge walk through a loose scree field. It is non-technical so you don’t need ropes, just don’t bring a fear of heights.

To reach the trailhead: From Frisco’s Main Street stoplight on Highway 9, head west on Main Street and turn left on 2nd St. Follow 2nd Street to the parking area at the end of the road and the trailhead starts here.

Buffalo Mountain

If you come through the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70 heading west, the first thing you will see looking out towards Dillon and Silverthorne is Buffalo Mountain. Ironically the shortest mountain on this list at 12,777 feet is one of the most visibly imposing mountains in Summit County. You cannot miss the distinctive round hump and huge crater-like hole in the middle of the mountain. The best views are from Silverthorne and Dillon. Buffalo Mountain edges out Peak 1 as the most badass hike in Summit County based on its ridiculously steep middle section that includes a .6-mile 23% grade. The hike is about three miles one way and just over 3,000 vertical feet, but don’t let that fool you. The majority of that 3,000 feet is actually covered in about a mile and a half.

The climb is basically through a loose scree field in an avalanche chute. It’s hard on the way up but it is absolutely brutal on the joints on the way down. The views from the summit are truly stunning especially the view of Dillon Reservoir. One of the most interesting things is although the mountain looks round from down in Silverthorne, from the summit looking down, the back side is a 3,000-foot vertical cliff.

To reach the trailhead: From the town of Silverthorne, turn onto Wildernest Road (7-11 is on the right corner) and follow this road (it turns into Ryan Gulch Road about a third of the way up) to the very end. Take the trailhead to the right and follow the signs for Buffalo Mountain. After about a mile or so you will know you are on the right trail because you will be climbing a never-ending staircase.

If you do decide to tackle one of these Summit County hikes, do your homework first. They are all achievable for even moderate hikers if you prepare correctly and respect the mountains.

If you are looking for a place to stay while you’re visiting Breckenridge and Summit County, visit one of our Breckenridge properties. Find the best Breck lodging deals at The Grand Colorado on Peak 8, Grand Lodge on Peak 7 and Grand Timber Lodge.

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