Natural History Wanderings

Mt. Rainier National Park reports

Currently Blooming

Sunrise Road is expected to open for the season Friday, June 28. Much of the snow has melted from the meadows and early-season wildflowers are beginning to bloom. A favorite is Western Pasqueflower (Anemone occidentalis) with its large white blooms and fuzzy stems. The fuzzy hairs protect the plant from wind and cold, helping this wildflower thrive in exposed subalpine zones.

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

• Paradise (6/27) – NOTE: Wildflowers are starting to bloom along roads and trails but still too early for most wildflowers. Early season: glacier lily, avalanche lily, Sitka mountain ash, rosy spirea, Jeffrey’s shooting star, phlox, lupine, Sitka valerian
• Sunrise Road to Sunrise (6/24)- wild strawberry, vanilla leaf, three-leaved anemone, paintbrush, penstemon, phlox, mountain dandelion, marsh marigold, cinquefoil, pink mountain heather, pasqueflower, magenta paintbrush, glacier lily
• White River Road (6/25) – vanilla leaf, coral root, trillium (old), pink mountain heather (early), Queen’s cup, bunchberry, rattlesnake plantain, lupine, paintbrush
• SR123/410 (6/24) – penstemon, columbine, Sitka mountain ash, goat’s beard, paintbrush, bear grass (particularly at Cayuse Pass)
• Longmire-Paradise Road (6/27) – cow parsnip, vanilla leaf, yarrow, Sitka valerian, Sitka mountain ash (early), goat’s beard (early), paintbrush, columbine, creeping blackberry, bear grass!, rock penstemon, glacier lily, avalanche lily, slender bog orchid, tall bluebell, Jeffrey’s shooting star, lupine
• Nisqually Entrance to Longmire (6/26) – cow parsnip, vanilla leaf, columbine, three-leaved anemone, bunchberry, tiger lily, lupine
• Stevens Canyon Road, east to west (6/14) – wild strawberry, paintbrush, vanilla leaf, columbine, three-leaved anemone, lupine, goat’s beard, bear grass, Oregon sunshine, thimbleberry, penstemon, yarrow, subalpine daisy, avalanche lily, sitka valerian, sitka mountain ash, tall bluebells, phlox, Jeffrey’s shooting stars
• Trail of the Shadows, Longmire (6/16) – wild strawberries, lupine, star flower, foam flower, spring beauty, vanilla leaf, oregongrape, devil’s club, cow parsnip, big-leaved avens, pippsissewa
• White River Road (6/14) – wild strawberry, vanilla leaf

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.