Yampa River Botanic Park

Yampa River Botanic Park is located in Steamboat Springs and celebrates its 25th year this year.

The large free parking lot for Yampa River Botanic Park is also the parking lot for Emerald Park.

There is a short trail from the parking lot through the outer edge of Emerald Park that provides access to the entrance to Yampa River Botanic Park.

The Yampa River Botanic Park brochure states, "A place of serenity celebrating the trees, shrubs, plants and birds of the Yampa Valley."

The Denver Post lists Yampa River Botanic Park as one of the "9 lesser-known public gardens in Colorado that are worth a visit."

Although we've been to several botanical gardens before, Yampa River Botanic Park's high altitude setting makes it very different from most of those we've seen.

The Yampa River Botanic Park brochure states, "Throughout the gardens are native pine trees, spruces, firs, junipers, cottonwoods, aspens and non-native fruit trees. Most of the plants here are perennials."

Yampa River Botanic Park features several "neighborhoods" which can be viewed on the map included with the Yampa River Botanic Park brochure.

The reflective Peter's Pond in the Pond Neighborhood is very serene.

There is a beautiful pond that connects Peter's Pond to the Reflecting Pond.

The Reflecting Pond of Yampa River National Park.

It's not only people attracted to these beautiful flowers.

The "Secret Trail" starts on a small rock hill and is a very short path through the shade of trees.

I really liked Jeff's Garden.

We saw the sign warning about osprey attacks on drones when we entered the park and seeing the nesting ospreys was a highlight.

The ospreys are celebrated in the area as shown by the Steamboat Pilot & Today articles "Nesting ospreys spread steadily up the Yampa Valley" and "The return of Steamboat's osprey".

As expected, the Yampa River is part of the overall experience of Yampa River Botanic Park.

Yampa River Botanic Park also has a Children's Garden area.

There is no charge to enter and tour Yampa River Botanic Garden, but donations are encouraged with drop boxes at the entrance/exit to the garden.