Leadville Weekend Part 3: Mayflower Gulch to Gold Hill Wildflower Hike

Distance 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,996-11,980 ft
Elevation gain: 1,040 ft

Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum), Bistwort (Bistora bistortoides), unknown yellow aster, Aspen Daisy (Erigeron speciosus)

Mayflower Gulch near Copper Mountain is one of my favorite wildflower hikes and we usually go up at least once a year to check it out. It never seems to disappoint. This year was no exception. The fields were filled with many different species, the clouds were building, providing much needed shade to photograph the colorful ones, and the weather was sublime.

The cabins of the Boston Mine seen from the road to Gold Hill

Some of you may have already seen my winter Mayflower Gulch post. Summer or winter, Mayflower Gulch is a destination not to be missed. Don’t stay at the cabins of the Boston Mine however. Instead, be sure to head up the right towards Gold Hill. In the winter this is a bushwhack but in the summer you can follow a dirt road to the top. Most years there will be a slight scramble over the remaining snow cornice. This year was no exception.

The farther up Gold Hill you go, the farther back into the Gulch you can see. Here you can see the trail that heads there.

View from Gold Hill looking south

Many of the most beautiful wildflowers grow along the broad slope that borders this road. I like to shove my telephoto lens into the grasses and play with bringing into focus various layers of the flowers. There are so many, it is hard to choose.

View from Gold Hill looking southwest towards the Climax Mine retaining pond
The views from the ridge of Gold Hill are extraordinary. The green meadows to the south remind me of the Sound of Music. If you listen carefully, you can hear the opening strains of that musical and I swear Julie Andrews is about to come twirling out into the open.

View from Gold Hill looking southeast

Slightly southwest, you can see the giant retaining pond of the Climax Mine. While not a pretty wilderness sight, its colors do make a nice contrast to all verdant greens.

White Crowned Sparrow (Zontrichia leucohyrus) nests in the central mountains of Colorado. It feeds on the ground scratching backwards with both feet simultaneously.

On this trip we also decided to head up into the Gulch to the farther mine site. Alas, we were almost to the final structure when the storms that had been building decided to start rumbling. Since this area is very exposed, we decided to head out. There were many wildflowers along this route as well, particularly along the stream. If you have time, do both and you won’t be disappointed. Note that the mileage and elevation gain listed in this post does not include the trip to the upper mine.