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Yampa River Botanic Park

Steamboat Springs, Colorado has made a name for itself thanks to its many beautiful mountain homes and outdoor lifestyle. Set in a picturesque mountain community perfectly situated in Northwest Colorado, Steamboat Springs continues to draw huge crowds in the winter for skiing and other winter fun, but it is important to take note of some of the other beautiful natural resources right here in town.

One such beautiful natural resource is the Yampa River Botanic Park. Open to the public from dawn until dusk, May 1 through October 31st, the Park offers free entry in order to encourage people to visit often, to feel ownership in the Park, and it encourages donations to the Park.

High on the Chamber’s list of tourist attractions, the Park is used for weddings, social events, yoga, opera, summer camps, and outdoor classes for all ages. Many of the local schools take field trips to the Park each year to provide various lessons to children as young as 5 years of age.

The Green

Centrally located in the middle of the Botanic Gardens is a large, flat open space, known as the Green. Beginning in 1999, the Park began hosting “Music on the Green,” a partnership with Strings Music Festival and a cultural resource that is supported by various local sponsors. These events are free lunchtime classical and contemporary music concerts in a very informal, scenic atmosphere. These free events draw over 3,000 people each season, many of whom are visitors.

The Children’s Garden

In a corner of the Park is the Children’s Garden. This open space is complete with gardens, bird nests, a playhouse, and an amphitheater. In the summer months, warm temps and interesting performances geared towards children draw family crowds for picnics and nature walks through the Park. All the plants are labeled in the Park and there are various stepping-stones, paths, and bridges to cross. Interesting sculptures and various different trails to explore hold children’s attention and keep them entertained.

An Innovative Park

This innovative and unique Park is an experiment in private/public development and maintenance of a public botanical garden. The land used for the Park, 6-acres, was donated to the City of Steamboat Springs and is maintained by an Association.

The Association is a comprehensive volunteer organization with over 400 members, some local and others not local. The City delegated the Association with the tasks of: managing the Park; raising funds; hiring staff; and designing, creating and maintaining the Park’s extensive gardens.

The Climate

Nestled right off U.S Highway 40 on Pamela Lane the Park sits at an altitude of 6,880 feet in a cool valley at the foot of Mount Werner. Because the cold air flows down the mountain and through the valley, the Park sees temps as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which produces a killing frost ALL but 60 days a year.

These low temperatures combined with a high altitude climate and much exposure to ultra-violet light make this a challenging climate in which to grow plants.

Native species thrive in this Park as do certain plants from other parts of the world and cultivars of lower-altitude plants. The Park is filled with mostly perennials.

If you haven’t already been to the Park, there is still time before the heavy snows hit, so be sure to enjoy some of this scenic beauty before it’s blanketed in snow.

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