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.

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A young trillium with white petals (top) and an older flower with petals fading to pink (bottom). Photos taken in Longmire, 5/6/26.

NPS Photo

Currently Blooming

Last Updated: May 12, 2026
Spring has arrived and so have the wildflowers! Subalpine areas like Paradise are still covered in snow, but at lower elevations, like Longmire, many flowers are starting to bloom.

Trillium (Trillium ovatum) is a common early season favorite. With three petals framed by three large leaves, trillium is easy to recognize. The petals start white and turn pink as the flower ages. It can take several years for trillium to bloom so please take care to not damage these delicate forest plants!

Please stay on the trails.

As snow continues to melt away, it may be tempting to skirt remaining patches of snow or mud 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

Longmire Area
Christine Falls (5/12) - candyflower, yellow violets, trillium, large-leaf sandwort, salmonberry Longmire-Paradise Road (5/12) - trillium, wild strawberry, yellow violets, cliff paintbrush, phlox (near Canyon Rim viewpoint) Trail of the Shadows and around Longmire (5/8) - wild strawberry, yellow violets, trillium, salmonberry, Calypso orchid, Cascade Oregon-grape, holly-leaf Oregon-grape, kinnikinnick, skunk cabbage, leafy mitrewort, mountain-parsley, rusty saxifrage, heart-leaf twayblade, large-leaf sandwort, coltsfoot (late)
Paradise Area	Sunrise Area
Narada Falls Trail (5/12) - yellow violets, trillium, huckleberry NOTE: Paradise meadows are still mostly covered in snow.	Not yet open for the season. Check back for updates later in the summer!

 

Red Columbine Flower

NPS Photo / Filo Merid

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