Roadtrip Worthy: Vail’s Beautiful Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

If you have an appreciation for alpine plants, flowers, and the beauty of mountain environments you may want to take a sightseeing trip to Vail this summer.

The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is North America's highest botanical gardens. While it is open 365 days a year, public and private tours are offered during the summer. They recently held their annual Butterfly Launch.

The Alpine Gardens is all about preservation, conservation, and education. It's a beautiful place to visit with a myriad of high elevation blooming plants and flowers and the backdrop of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

When you tour the gardens you'll cross the Alpine Garden Bridge and catch a glimpse of the Mountain Perennial Waterfall. There are a number of different gardens spanning the grounds, each offering something a little different including rock gardens, the Mountain Perennial Garden, and the Alpine Crevice Garden pictured below. It truly is a unique and beautiful collection of

Remarkably, there isn't an admission charge, however, donations are gladly accepted. To visit the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, take I-70 to Vail, and then follow the South Frontage Road all the way to the gardens.