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.
Magenta paintbrush at Sunrise, 7/17/19. NPS Photo Currently Blooming Last Updated: July 19, 2019 If you’re a wildflower, how do you attract the attention of pollinators in a subalpine meadow filled with other wildflowers? By being hot pink, of course! Magenta paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora) is easy to spot and recognize – that color is unmistakable. Magenta paintbrush is more common on the eastern side of the mountain, such as around Sunrise, but can be found throughout the park. Please Note: 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 trail even if that means crossing snow, particularly in the high-visitation meadows around Paradise and Sunrise.   Wildflower Reports Sunrise (7/17) - magenta paintbrush, phlox, pasqueflower seedheads, cinquefoil, fleeceflower, mountain sandwort Sunrise Road (7/17) - thimbleberry, arnica, sitka mountain ash, sitka valerian, phlox, bear grass, lupine, scarlet paintbrush Stevens Canyon Road (7/17) - thimbleberry, goat's beard (lots!), bear grass, arnica, lupine, sitka valerian, rosy spirea, subalpine daisy, scarlet paintbrush, avalanche lily, thistle, slender bog orchid, tiger lily Paradise Valley Road (7/15) - sitka mountain ash (early), scarlet paintbrush, rosy spirea, arnica, subalpine daisy, sitka valerian, oceanspray, avalanche lily (lots!), glacier lily, pasqueflower seedheads, pink mountain heather, Jeffrey's shooting star, magenta paintbrush, bracted lousewort, tall bluebell, partridgefoot, rock penstemon Reflection Lakes & Lakes Loop Trail (7/14) - heather, Sitka mountain ash, Jeffrey's shooting star, avalanche lily, lupine, magenta paintbrush, scarlet paintbrush, huckleberries, sitka valerian, bracted lousewort, arnica, fan-leaf cinquefoil, purple violets, slender bog orchid, marsh marigold, glacier lily, mountain dandelion, bistort, showy jacob's ladder, curlybeak lousewort, spreading phlox, cliff penstemon, elephanthead, bear grass Comet Falls Trail, low to upper (7/14) - bunchberry, sitka mountain ash, columbine, Jeffrey's shooting star, slender bog orchid, coralroot, bear grass, wild rhododendron, tiger lily, sitka valerian, elderberry, yellow monkeyflower, lupine, tall bluebells, magenta paintbrush, arnica, yellow violets Longmire (7/14) - lupine, twin flower, pipsissewa, rattlesnake plantain, tiger lily, salal
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.