Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2008 - (Page 29) Wildflowers Columbine – Colorado’s state flower may be hardy enough to survive summertime cold snaps in the Rockies, but it looks as fragile as a Ming vase. Lavender or blue columbines are the most recognizable, but there are also red and yellow varieties. Regardless, all columbines are defined by their white collar and trailing sepals. Paintbrush – Like the columbine, these brush-like stalks come in myriad varieties. Desert paintbrushes grow on arid slopes and are crimson with spiky petals. Rosy and sulphur paintbrush are soft and velvety with rounded edges. Alpine Sunflower – Look for this yellow-faced inhabitant of the tundra growing on wind-beaten slopes above treeline. Its wooly stems and leaves, which appear like grayish-white hair, have led some to call this alpine flower the “Old Man of the Mountain.” Glacier Lily – At high elevations, these fleeting flowers spring to life from underneath freshly melted snow around late June. Bright yellow and shaped like tiger lilies, the “dogtooth violet” bears a faint scent of vanilla and lemon. Lupine – The individual blossoms of the lupine may be small, but they grow in a wild profusion among sage and dry fields. Readily identifiable by their finger-shaped foliage, lupine are a favorite for amateur photographers and campground bouquet collectors. They can be seen any time between May and early August. Blue Gentians – Just when the colors of a Rocky Mountain summer start to fade into fall (which at high altitude is around mid-August) these deep, bell-shaped belles add one final splash of blue. Look for them blooming atop tall, slender stalks in dry meadows in montane habitats. ©Corbis. All Rights Reserved. Colorado’s ©Eric Wunrow 4) In July, take to the trails within the Lizard Head Wilderness and pass hip-deep through colorful fields of wildflowers. 5) Try your luck and cast a line for the hungry brook trout that inhabit all of the lakes in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. State Parks Colorado’s 42 state parks create a patchwork of public lands accessible to all. The list of activities at each of these areas is staggering. Boating, hiking, fishing and camping are among the most popular, but lesser-known activities range from model airplane fields to target shooting. Five must-see BLM lands: 1) Peer into the canyon at Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, where the Gunnison River cuts a frothy swath through an amazing wilderness canyon. 2) Put in at the town of Loma, and paddle down the Colorado River in a canoe through McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. 3) Try Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby, which is an easily accessed and pine-corralled lake ideal for waterfowl viewing. 4) Mountain bike the North Fruita Desert Trails, where a total of 73 miles of trail have been established and include every type of terrain needed for a grit-laden ride. 5) Make a summit bid for 14,048-foot Handies Peak — either from the American Basin or Grizzly Gulch routes. Profuse wildflowers and a truly remote Rocky Mountain experience make this a wonderful midsummer climb. MORE ONLINE! Find out more at Five must-see state parks: 1) Rent a boat at North Sterling State Park’s marina and cruise over the reservoir’s 3,000 acres of water. 2) Play a game of high-tech hide-and-seek by participating in a geocaching event at State Forest State Park. 3) Challenge the craggy rock faces of Eldorado Canyon State Park, a popular rock climbing area outside Boulder. 4) Trained staff will teach you the basics of firearm safety and let you fire a rifle or handgun while target shooting at Cherry Creek State Park. 5) Spend a wintry night tucked warmly into a Mongolian-inspired yurt at Mancos State Park. MORE ONLINE! Find out more at parks.state.co.us www.blm.gov ©Corel Corporation ©Tom Algire ©Matthew Lancaster Rugged, raw and serene are apt words when describing the thousands of acres administered by the BLM. In Colorado, many of the state’s land-defining canyons and gorges are found within a BLM boundary. Facilities are often minimal, though inspirational sights and activities are ample. ©Tom Algire Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ©stockbyte Trapper’s Lake, Flat Tops Wilderness 1-800-Colorado | www.colorado.com 29 http://www.blm.gov http://parks.state.co.us http://www.colorado.com
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