Natural History Wanderings

Mt. Rainier National Park reports

Currently Blooming – August 3, 2017
Every year it seems like one wildflower blooms particularly well, and anecdotally “wins” the season for best display. This year Sitka Valerian is definitely in the running. In the Paradise Valley, their blooms have dusted the meadows with white. Not to say that other wildflowers aren’t blooming! Look for paintbrush, rosy spirea, lupine, asters, and columbine to name a few.

Find a trail to explore Mount Rainier’s meadows!

Wildflower Reports

• Paradise Valley Road (8/1): sitka valerian (peak!), magenta paintbrush, scarlet paintbrush, columbine, thistle, lupine, Cascade aster, alpine aster, alpine daisy, arnica, arrowleaf groundsel, gray’s lovage, bistort, early: sitka mountain ash, false hellebore, rosy spirea, pearly everlasting,
• Sunrise (7/26): fanleaf cinquefoil, subalpine daisy, magneta paintbrush, sitka valerian, arrowleaf groundsel (early), rainiera stricta (early). Good trails for wildflower viewing: Silver Forest and Shadow Lake along Sunrise Rim trail.
• Berkeley Park (7/25): lupine, magenta paintbrush, sitka valerian, bistort, pasqueflower seedheads, bracted lousewort, elephanthead, tall bluebells, arnica, subalpine daisy
• Paradise (7/22): fanleaf cinquefoil, subalpine buttercup, avalanche lily, glacier lily, magenta paintbrush, scarlet paintbrush, sitka valerian, pasqueflower, springbeauty, Jeffrey’s shooting star, marsh marigold, pink and white mountain heather, Cascade huckleberry, rosy spirea, alpine arnica, bear grass, broadleaf arnica, subalpine daisy, American bistort. Good trails for wildflower viewing: Myrtle Falls and up Golden Gate before switchbacks, Alta Vista, Avalanche Lily, and Nisqually Vista trails.

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 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.

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.