Discover Wildflowers

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.

Currently Blooming

Last Updated: July 3, 2024

While there is still patchy snow, early season wildflowers are also emerging in subalpine areas like Sunrise! These pasqueflowers were found blooming in front of the Sunrise Visitor Center with hoverflies already hard at work as pollinators. Pasqueflowers (Anemone occidentalis) have big blooms with white petal-like sepals and yellow stamens. The entire plant is covered in long shining hairs that help insulate it from cold and windy subalpine conditions. Later in the season, the blooms are replaced by large mop-like, feathery seedheads, sometimes called “mouse-on-a-stick”.

NOTE: Always check current trail conditions before heading out!

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

• Paradise Area (7/5): avalanche lilies, glacier lilies, pink mountain heather. Best trails to enjoy early blooms (avalanche and glacier lilies): Myrtle Falls, Bench and Snow Lakes.
• Sunrise (7/3) - along road: lupine, harsh paintbrush, Menzie's penstemon, cliff penstemon, marsh marigold, spreading phlox; at Sunrise: magenta paintbrush, glacier lily, pasqueflower, cinquefoil, Cusick's speedwell, Drummond's rockcress, fleeceflower. Best trail to enjoy early blooms: Silver Forest.
• Stevens Canyon Road (7/3) - from east entrance moving west: bear grass, columbine, harsh paintbrush, lupine, yellow monkeyflower, cliff penstemon, Menzie's penstemon, Sitka mountain ash, buttercup suksdorfia, Oregon sunshine, columbine, goat's beard, spreading phlox, glacier lily, subalpine daisy, rosy spirea (early), Sitka valerian
• SR123/410 Cayuse Pass (7/3) - goat's beard, scarlet paintbrush, thimbleberry, lupine, columbine, Sitka valerian, small-flowered penstemon, subalpine daisy
• Nisqually Entrance to Longmire (7/3) - thimbleberry, cow parsnip, three-leaved anemone, tiger lily, goat's beard, buttercup
• Longmire to Paradise Road (6/21) - bear grass, cliff penstemon, Menzie's penstemon, harsh paintbrush, spreading phlox, Jeffrey's shooting stars, avalanche lily (early), glacier lily (early), elderberry

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.