Semi-desert Wildflowers
of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Photos and text by Al Schneider
Click on a thumbnail below to start the slide show.

The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is in the southwest corner of Colorado, west of Mesa Verde National Park. The 170,000 acre Monument, established at the end of President Clinton's term, is comprised of numerous canyons and mesas ranging in elevation from 5,000 to 6,800 feet.  It is a scenic treasure, but it was actually set aside to protect the innumerable Anasazi archaeological sites -- room blocks, pueblos, midden mounds, scattered tools, irrigation check dams, etc. 

The slide show below provides photographs of a few of the numerous high desert plants that flower in the Monument. Most plants shown bloom from late March to early June, but several of the many plants that bloom in the summer are also shown.

More photographs and descriptive details about each plant will be found in the other pages of this web site.  Go to "Search" function on any of the main pages.

Click to learn more about the Monument.