Things to do / Travel Guide
You can wander outside in the forests and meadows of the eastern Colorado and Wyoming Rockies to get a taste of its different plants and flowers. However, if you want to really experience the variety of flora, Denver's got four botanical gardens for you and Cheyenne boasts a quite nice and well-tended garden as well.
Botanical Gardens in Denver, Colorado
The city's main garden is called Denver Botanical Gardens, and it's at 1005 York Street, east of downtown. It's the most mainstream of the four gardens, and its permanent gardens are focused on the region and its multiple environmental habitats. There are over 30 different gardens and displays, ranging from the Birds and Bees Walk and Community Gardens to a Scripture Garden and June's PlantAsia. The city's other Botanical Gardens are:
- Denver Botanical Gardens at Chatfield - This is a 750-acre nature preserve along Deer Creek, southwest of the city. You can explore the grasslands, the various ponds, and cottonwood banks. There's even a historical farm on the premises. Don't let the nature fool you, or the lack of neat beds of roses to admire. The human hand is subtle at this location, but present in every flower and twist of the creek. The garden is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Mount Goliath is a mountainous section of the Mt. Evans area. Travel via State Road 70 to Idaho Springs and take State Road 103 to State Road 5, where you park. The garden is actually along the M. Walter Pesman Trail, and to get there you can take a moderately-difficult 1.5-mile hike or a less difficult half-mile hike. You get to see a real, though maintained, alpine and sub-alpine ecosystem; grizzled bristlecones and delicate wildflowers compete for attention. Admission to this garden is free, and its open 24/7.
- At five acres, the smallest of the gardens comprising Denver's Botanical Gardens, is located within Denver. Called Centennial Gardens, its French formal layout is made unique with the addition of a Colorado twist. Basically, the more water-conserving plant varieties indigenous to Colorado are set and planted according to a French design. This little gem of a garden is located along the South Platte River, directly south of Speer Boulevard. Admission to this garden is free, and it's open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne, Wyoming
This nine-acre small wonder is concentrated into three greenhouses, and the surrounding outside gardens. There are tropical, vegetable, rose, wildflower, and cactus gardens, among others. The solar conservatory is 100% solar-heated. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is located in Lions Park, off Central Avenue. The gardens are open every day of the year during daylight hours, and admission is free.
Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Cheyenne Wyoming and the Eastern Rockies
Botanical-Gardens
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