Take a Closer Look...Foothills Life Zone
The foothills of Colorado’s eastern slope form the dramatic meeting place of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. In this transition area between the prairie and the mountains, grasslands intermix with scrublands of mountain mahogany and scrub oak. These foothill shrubs eventually give way to the evergreen forests of higher elevations. Orange paintbrush, white yucca and blue penstamon add color to this landscape in spring and summer.
Many different animals thrive in this region. Noisy magpies build huge, ball-shaped nests in the foothill trees. Blue-and-gray scrub jays collect oak acorns, then push them into the ground to store until winter. Many mammal, such as long eared mule deer, chipmunks, coyotes and mountain lions find plentiful food and shelter in the foothills.
Marker is on Pike's Peak Toll Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
