Just north of Denver, the Green, Bear, and Flagstaff mountains place names on the city of Boulder's Front Range peaks. With the Rocky Mountains dominating the skyline, the transition from the High Plains to the Front Range peaks is quite evident. Here among the foothills, five distinctively shaped rock formations, called the Flatirons, have become Boulder's signature mountains.
   Over 100 years ago, the city of Boulder joined the progressive movement to preserve its wilderness land. With an issue of bonds, 80 acres surrounding Green Mountain were used to establish Chautauqua Park. A network of trails, including Blue Bell-Baird, Chautauqua and Flatiron trails weave up to these grand, Pennsylvanian sandstone slabs. Shaped like a pioneer woman's metal sadiron, these conglomerate sandstone slabs were once sands on the bottom of an inland sea. Compressed over time, the Flatirons were pushed to the surface, along with the rise of the Rocky Mountains.
   Today, Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks provide a buffer between urban development and local agriculture land and wildlife habitats. Now laced with 140 miles of trails, Boulder residents enjoy this clean environment, its recreational benefits and incredible scenic vistas from atop the Flatiron Peaks.

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