‘Tis the season when shutterbugs fill their tanks and hit the road, bound for some of the best nature photography Colorado has to offer for a short time only.

But a camera isn’t required to enjoy the state’s wildflowers. The images won’t soon leave your memory.

With earlier snow melt, the bloom has occurred earlier than usual in Crested Butte, the renowned “wildflower capital” that will hold its annual weeklong festival starting July 6. Typically, mid-July to mid-August is the time to catch the best displays.

Here are some other top destinations:

American Basin

If you’re not satisfied by one spot along the 63-mile Alpine Loop, don’t fret: It’s impossible to leave unhappy. The road is taken mostly by American Basin pilgrims.

If you’re up for the 26-mile drive from Lake City – which feels longer on mostly dirt roads – you’ll arrive at the short trail into the basin. A wide variety of flora has made a home under dramatic peaks, in a valley where a waterfall steadily runs.

Aspen

At the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, one of the most popular sightseeing events is on the trying, 11-mile trail to Aspen, which competes for that “capital” status. The reliable folks at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies have some recommendations:

Keep it close to town with the American Lake or River Run trails. Or ascend to high-alpine areas on the Lost Man loop or Grizzly Lake Trail. The options are many.

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Make Nederland your base and explore the pristine backcountry that surrounds the hamlet west of Boulder. Online posts suggest the wildflowers are already popping along the heavily trafficked path to Lost Lake. Access the lake via the Hessie Trail, the starting point also for the stunning Devil’s Thumb Pass near 12,000 feet.

Rocky Mountain National Park

You can’t go wrong scouting wildflowers in Colorado’s signature outdoor hub. Like these other destinations, you won’t avoid the crowds, and that’s because the trail network has something for everybody.

The 5.5-mile round trip to Ouzel Falls through Wild Basin is a vibrant favorite. At lower elevations, the slightly longer Cub Lake loop offers the special treat of yellow lilies floating in the place known as The Pool. Another rare opportunity is to walk among the resilient flowers of the tundra from the Alpine Visitor Center.

Yankee Boy Basin

You’ll need a high-clearance, four-wheel drive for this trek from Ouray. Along with Indian paintbrush, columbines and bluebells – to name a few – you’ll also get the delight of historical mining sites on the steep, rocky road. And did we mention the San Juan Mountains majesty?