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Discover Wildflowers

Penstemon wildflowers growing along the road to Sunrise. NPS Photo   Mount Rainer's renowned wildflowers bloom for a limited amount of time every year. The "peak" bloom for wildflowers is heavily dependent on weather and precipitation patterns, so accurate predictions are difficult. In most years, many flowers will be blooming by mid-July, and by the first of August the meadows should be very impressive. Frost can occur by late August, but even after light frosts the meadows continue to be very beautiful, thanks to changing leaf colors and seed pod development that take the place of colorful blossoms. For a better idea of what the wildflowers are doing this year, please see the Currently Blooming section below, which summarizes what's blooming where. Explore further: Wildflower Guide - Unfamiliar with Mount Rainier's wildflowers? Photos and brief descriptions of some of the common wildflower species can be found in the park's online wildflower guide. Subalpine and Forest wildflower photo galleries Wildflower video gallery - Preview Mount Rainier's blooming wildflower meadows by watching these short clips. The Seasons of Mount Rainier - View short clips of different plants found in various parts of the park. Ecological Restoration - Watch short videos about the Ecological Restoration program's work in the park.
Bear grass along the trail to Shriner Peak Lookout, June 24, 2017 NPS/Kelly Martin Photo Currently Blooming - June 28, 2017 The snow is starting to creep back in the subalpine areas of the park! Many flowers are starting to bloom along roadsides and tomorrow the remaining closed roads, Sunrise Road and Mowich Road, open for the season (check spring opening status). From your vehicle, bear grass are common and easy-to-spot wildflowers. They have a single large stalk that is 1-5 feet tall topped with a cluster of white flowers. Take advantage of the many roadside pull offs to take a closer look at some of the less obvious road side wildflowers. Wildflower Reports Nisqually to Longmire Road (6/28): cow parsnip, buttercup, tiger lily, foam flower, devil's club, lupine (around Kautz), goat's beard, columbine (late) Longmire to Paradise Road (6/27): bear grass, paintbrush, rock penstemon, goat's beard, bluebells, buttercup, Jeffrey's shooting star, phlox, lupine, broadleaf arnica, Sitka valerian, Sitka mountain ash, pink mountain heather Box Canyon to Martha Falls (6/25): Sitka valerian, Sitka mountain ash, trillium, wild strawberry, foam flower, fringecup, vanilla leaf, baneberry, false bugbane, elderberry, goat's beard, leather leaf saxifrage, wood saxifrage, Hooker's fairy bells, bear grass, Solomon's seal, star-flowered Solomon's seal, thimbleberry, spring beauty, devil's club, bunchberry, false lily-of-the-valley, twisted stalk, yellow violet, yellow monkey flower, arnica, Lewis monkeyflower, rosy spirea, columbine, salmonberry, bleeding heart, pink mountain heather, Nootka rose, spotted coralroot, scarlet paintbrush, mountain bluebells Eastside Trail (6/21): vanilla leaf, bunchberry (lots!), foam flower, star-flowered false Solomon's seal, wild strawberry, yellow violet, salmonberry, thimbleberry, coralroot, baneberry, Pacific blackberry, star flower Ohanapecosh/Silver Falls (6/18): queen's cup, three-leaved anemone, bunchberry, oxalis, thimbleberry, foam flower, vanilla leaf, bear grass, false Solomon's seal, star-flowered Solomon's seal Stevens Canyon Road (6/14): West Side (towards Reflection Lakes) avalanche lilies, phlox, trillium; East Side (towards Grove of the Patriarchs) Menzie's penstemon, cliff paintbrush, buttercup, bear grass, lupine, wild strawberry Grove of the Patriarchs (6/14): foam flower, siberian miner's lettuce, star flower, fringecup, piggyback plant, bunchberry, false solomon's seal, star-flowered false solomon's seal, vanilla leaf, Cascade Oregon-grape
Mountain Bog Gentian NPS Photo Wildflower Photos The photos featured here are usually taken by park staff and volunteers from all over the park. Share your own wildflower photos in the Mount Rainier Flickr group! Higher resolution versions of wildflower photos are available on Mount Rainier's Flickr page. Plan Your Visit Paradise and Sunrise are two of the main visitor center areas at Mount Rainier National Park. Both areas are well known for their impressive wildflower meadows. The park also maintains dozens of trails perfect for wildflower viewing.