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. Wildflower photo galleries - Collections of subalpine and forest wildflowers. Wildflower video gallery - Preview Mount Rainier's blooming wildflower meadows by watching these short videos. The Seasons of Mount Rainier - View short videos 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.
Rosy spirea blooming at Reflection Lakes, 7/7/25. NPS Photo Currently Blooming Last Updated: July 10, 2025 Many wildflowers are starting to bloom in subalpine areas of the park, though you will still encounter patches of snow and snow-covered trails at higher elevations. A common shrub just starting to bloom in the Paradise area is rosy spirea (Spirea slendens). Rosy spirea typically flowers well into August. The pink flowers will then fade into reddish-brown follicles (a dry fruit containing seeds) in the fall. NOTE: Always check current trail conditions before heading out! Subalpine areas like Paradise are still completely snow covered. Please stay on the trails. As snow melts away, it may be tempting to skirt remaining patches of snow that are covering trails. However, by going off trail you are walking on and damaging the wildflowers that you may be coming to see! It is better to stay on the trail even if that means crossing snow, particularly in the high-visitation meadows around Paradise and Sunrise. Also, there are plenty of opportunities for the perfect mountain + wildflower photo from the trails! No need to step off trail and crush other flowers in your quest for the perfect shot.   Wildflower Reports Sunrise area (7/10) - pasqueflower, pasqueflower seedheads, fan-leaf cinquefoil, magenta paintbrush, scarlet paintbrush, spreading phlox, showy Jacob's ladder, pink mountain heather, white mountain heather, Sitka valerian, broadleaf lupine, marsh marigolds (near Shadow Lake), small-flowered penstemon, cliff penstemon, bracted lousewort, beargrass, smooth mountain dandelion, Gray's lovage, rosy spirea (Tipsoo) Paradise area (7/10) - pasqueflowers, avalanche lilies, glacier lilies, bistort, sitka valerian (early), heather, paintbrush; NOTE: Expect snow cover on the upper portions of Skyline and Golden Gate trails. Longmire area (7/8) - twinflower, cow parsnip, salal, forest penstemon, coral root, foam flower, slender bog orchid, tiger lily, common speedwell, self-heal, northern microseris, monkeyflower (along Nisqually River) Stevens Canyon Road, east to west (7/7) - columbine, tiger lily, harsh paintbrush, lupine, yarrow, narrow-sepaled phacelia, Oregon sunshine, Cascade penstemon, oceanspray, goldenrod, harebell, scarlet paintbrush, phlox, salmonberry, goat's beard, Sitka valerian, subalpine daisy, Sitka mountain ash, red elderberry, rosy spirea, avalanche lilies SR123/410-Cayuse Pass (7/7) - lupine, paintbrush, subalpine daisy, goat's beard, columbine, tiger lily, cow parsnip, bear grass, Oregon sunshine
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.     Meadow Preservation Enjoy wildflowers? Stay on trails