Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado, is an internationally acclaimed botanic garden known for unique alpine plants, education programs and conservation practices. At 8200', it is North America's highest botanical garden with a mission to "to protect the alpine environment through education, conservation and living plant collections.". " As the sole keeper of the nation’s exclusive collection of Colorado’s alpine flora, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is actively engaged in the conservation of alpine plants from around the world. Included in the Colorado alpine collection are rare and endangered species endemic to the state, including the Parachute penstemon, an unusual plant that grows only in oil shale talus along steep cliffs in western Colorado, and the Hoosier Pass ipomopsis, a member of the phlox family that is found only above 10,000 feet in the Mosquito Range." -Sarah Chase Shaw While a stunning place to visit there is much more to this Garden. Each year a new education exhibit will surprise even the most knowledgeable visitor and visitors can learn about the scientific work being accomplished in the alpine to save the fragile species that call it home. The outdoor gardens are open dawn until dusk year-round, with snow on the ground November through April. The Education Center provides exhibits, programs and features an Alpine House. See the Gardens book "On the Roof of the Rocky Mountains: The Botanical Legacy of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens".