Colorado in June is one of the state’s best-kept secrets.
July gets the attention. July is when the Instagram posts appear and the reservations fill and the trails see their heaviest traffic. But June particularly the latter half of June offers everything July does with a fraction of the crowds and prices that still reflect the shoulder season.
Here is why June deserves a closer look.
The Weather
June in Colorado’s mountain communities is genuinely beautiful. Daytime temperatures in the high country hover in the 60s and low 70s. Evenings cool into the 40s and 50s sweater weather around the fire pit. The air is dry and clear in a way that the monsoon moisture of late July begins to soften. Early June can still produce snow at elevation the mountains above 10,000 feet sometimes see late-season snow into the first week of the month. By mid-June the snow is largely confined to north-facing slopes and the high peaks. By late June the conditions are ideal across the mountain corridor west of Colorado Springs. Afternoon thunderstorms begin building in June but are generally less frequent and less intense than in July and August. June mornings are reliably clear and calm.
The Wildflowers
Colorado’s wildflower season begins in the mountains in mid-June and peaks in the high meadows in late June and early July. The timing varies by elevation and aspect south facing lower slopes bloom first, high meadows and north-facing terrain follow. Mueller State Park’s wildflower displays are among the best in the Teller County region. The meadow sections of the trail system in mid to late June can stop even experienced Colorado hikers in their tracks.
The Crowds
June visitation to Colorado’s mountain communities is meaningfully lower than July and August. The trails are quieter. Reservations at popular restaurants are easier to secure. The sense of having a place to yourself which is one of the primary attractions of mountainColorado is more readily available.
June Events
The Colorado Springs area in June sees the opening of major outdoor attractions and the beginning of the summer concert season at Fiddler’s Green. Garden of the Gods hosts its summer programming. Mueller State Park’s wildflower season begins.
Where to Stay
All Alpine Effect mountain properties are available in June the Catamount Coze House in Woodland Park, the Den House and Perch Point Studio in Florissant, and the studio retreats in Greenwood Village. June weekends fill earlier than most visitors expect. Book early and book direct at thealpineeffect.com.
