Natural History Wanderings

Wildflower Hunting in Washington and Oregon

The rains that many people complain about lead to good wildflowers in Washington and Oregon.  Mt. Rainer National Park, the Cascades, the Olympics  and Columbia River Gorge all are associated with great wildflower hikes and viewing.  Below are  resources to help you plan your wildflower excursions.

Wildflower Websites

• Oregon Wildflower Reports (includes reports, best time to visit and bloom periods): http://oregonwildflowers.org/index1024.html
• Flora and Fauna Northwest: http://science.halleyhosting.com/
• Plant lists of Pacific Northwest Wildflowers: http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/bloomtime/lists/plantlists.html
• Oregon Plant Lists (by county)
• Washington Plant Lists (by county)
• Washington Wildflower Identification: http://www.sunnywalter.com/Apn-Flora-Wildflowers.html
• Currently Blooming Wildflowers in Oregon & Washington:  http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/bloomtime/index.htm
• NWHikers.net 2011 Wildflower Reports: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7990181&highlight=flower
• Washington Trails Association Trip Reports http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/freshest-trip-reports-1 (go Trip Reports Search than click on Show advanced search options than search for wildflowers blooming)
• Pacific North West Wildflowers http://www.pnwflowers.com over 16,000 wildflower photographs by Mark Turner
• Top Ten Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Hikes http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2011/04/top_10_places_to_hike_in_colum.html by Terry Richard
• Oregon Wildflower Hikes http://traveloregon.com/trip-ideas/itineraries/wildflower-hikes/ seven wildflower hikes by Eileen Garvin at Travel Oregon

Native Plant Society Websites

• Washington Native Plant Society: http://www.wnps.org/
• Oregon Native Plant Society: http://www.npsoregon.org/

Government Sites

• Wildflower viewing areas in U.S. Forest Service Lands in the Pacific Northwest http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/pacificnorthwest/index.shtml
• Mount Rainier National Park: http://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
• Olympic National Park: http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/index.htm
• Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Wildflower Books

• Washington’s Best Wildflower Hikes (Charles Gurche)
• Oregon’s Best Wildflower Hikes: Northwest Region (George Wuerthner)
• Oregon’s Best Wildflower Hikes: Southwest Region (Elizabeth Horn)
• Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon)
• Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest (Dee Strickler)
• Wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge: A Comprehensive Field Guide (Russ Jolley)
• Wildflowers of the Olympics and Cascades (Charles Stewart)
• Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest (Phyllis Gustafson and Mark Turner)
• Best Wildflower Hikes Washington (Art Kruckeberg with Karen Sykes & Craig Romano)