Kilpacker Wildflowers

Near the turnoff to the Kilpacker Trail, there is a particularly lush August wildflower meadow. This area is along Forest Road 535 on the south edge of the Lizard Head Wilderness in southwest Colorado. On the maps this area is identified as “The Meadows.”

Besides the Kilpacker Trail, the other hiking trails near the Meadows include the Navajo Lake Trail, the Groundhog Stock Trail, and the Calico and Winter Trails. This area can be approached from the south along the West Fork Dolores Road that is 12 miles north of the town of Dolores, or from the Dunton Road that connects with Highway 145 south of the Lizard Head Pass area.

Two of the Colorado 14ers visible from the Meadows area, Mt. Wilson at 14,246 feet to the right and the tooth shaped El Diente at 14,159 feet to the left. The white Yarrows and yellow Asters are lush here along with purplish Daisies (all Composits). The elevation here is about 10,200 feet.

The blue Monkshoods (Buttercup) seemed particularly tall and thick here. Most of the Evergreen forest appeared to be Engelmann spruce, not many Aspens visible here.

The bright red Indian Paintbrush (Snapdragon) adds a lot of color. In this vicinity there are also yellpw Shrubby Cinquefoils (Rose) and a few pink Elephant Heads (Snapdragon).

This Prairie Smoke in the Rose Family is one that I haven’t noticed before. I noticed these both here and along part of the nearby Winter Trail.

Lizard Head Pass July Wildflowers

The Lizard Head Pass, along Highway 145, south of Telluride, in southwest Colorado, is a popular area and has hiking trail heads leading in several directions. In summer, the moist meadow areas are rich in wildflowers. It is possible to hike between Lizard Head Pass and the Cross Mountain Trail Head area and view the wildflowers along with the several mountain peaks that are visible.

I started my hike on the east side of Highway 145 near the East Fork Trail Head, and started walking north through the grassy meadow. There isn’t a trail on the east side, but the walking is mostly easy. From where I started, there are good views west toward the Lizard Head, Cross Mountain and Black Face. The yellow rose blooms of the Shrubby Cinquefoil stand out all along the meadow area. There are also purpleish Daisies and Buttercups here.

One of the most eye catching of flowers in this area is the Elephant Head in the Snapdragon Family. These are in the moist spots and there are broad patches of them along the way.
 

False Hellebore often grows in dense patches but not all of them bloom. The Navajo Lake Trail on the west side of the Lizard Head Wilderness has large fields of these.

Monkshood is a tall blue flower in the Buttercup Family. At first glance it might be confused with Larkspurs. Cross Mountain is in the distance. The popular Cross Mountain Trail provides a good view on the way to the base of the Lizard Head.

Red patches of Indian Paintbrush are common and visible from a distance. I think there are many species of these in the genus Castelleja of the Snapdragon Family.

There is a creek crossing about half way to Lizard Head Pass and the Yellow Mountain group visible from the pass come into view. The north half of the east side has broad patches of Elephant Heads mixed with white Bistorts in the Buckwheat Family.

Also mixed in with the Elephant Heads are a few Rose Crowns from the Stonecrop Family. I didn’t see very many of these.

I think these are Bluebells in the Mertensia genus of the Borage Family. These are in the area close to the Lizard Head Pass interpretive area, close to where I saw the Rose Crowns.

The return hike on the west side of Highway 145 can follow a rough road that appears to be a buried power line route. The walking is easier and there are good views of the moist meadow area on the east side. Many of the same flowers are visible but more along the several creeks that flow across the trail. My total hike took about 2:30 hours for about 4 miles. The swcoloradowildflowers.com web site is an excellent source for identifying regional wildflowers.