Managed by Boulder County Parks and Open Space, Betasso Preserve's 773-acres are dear to Boulder's hikers and mountain bikers. Two trails lead through ponderosa pine and fir forests and afford sweeping views of the surrounding plains. The forests, streams, and meadows are habitat for a variety of birds and mammals.

The Preserve lies within the northeast corner of the Colorado Mineral Belt, in an area surrounded by abandoned gold and tungsten mines. Since the great Rocky Mountain uplift, erosion has been the dominant force sculpting Betasso Preserve. The property is bounded by Boulder Canyon and Fourmile Canyon, the streams of which have carved deep valleys in the rock. In the past, when the great valley glaciers of about 8,000 feet began to melt, these streams carried considerably more water and rock than they do today. In the late spring and early summer, however, you can see how the stream flow continues to shape the topography.

• In the spring, as you pass through fir-covered ravines on the trail, look for the shooting star, a flower with bright pink petals pulled back from its yellow center and growing in moist areas along the stream.