THE GLORY OF BIERSTADT LAKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK A monarch butterfly moves atop

A monarch butterfly moves atop swamp milkweed flowers using its proboscis to sip nectar from the swamp milkweed florets as the late afternoon sunlight illuminates this prairie scene at Wildflower Park in Northern Illinois

Ruddy ducks spend a few days resting and recouping at Wildflower Lake before continuing their migration north on this beautiful spring morning at Wildflower park

Blue vervain grow abundantly throughout Wildflower Park with picturesque clouds overhead and oak trees off in the distance

I like how clear the lakes are on calm days up at this elevation as the reflections are cast onto Mills Lake which adds even more beauty to a beautiful and majestic scene

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THE GLORY OF BIERSTADT LAKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK A monarch butterfly moves atopIt was a cool August summer morning when I arrived at the trailhead to Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. I started up the steep trail at 5: 15 am to catch the sunrise at the lake and the Continental Divide. It would take me just under an hour to reach the lake. There are numerous switchbacks leading up the mountain through some stands of aspen trees. After about 20 minutes, I no longer needed my headlamp to guide my way up the mountain.