Natural History Wanderings

Mt. Rainier National Park reports

Currently Blooming

Gray’s lovage (Ligusticum grayi) can be overlooked when it is just one of many wildflowers in a subalpine meadow. However, this late-season wildflower can have big clusters of white flowers on branched stems up to 36 in (91 cm) high. This patch was found thriving on the shores of Mowich Lake, but Gray’s lovage can be found throughout the park in wetter mid-to-subalpine elevations.

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

• Mowich Lake (8/21) – pearly everlasting, yarrow, Gray’s lovage, Cascade aster, sitka valerian, arnica, mountain bog gentian
• Comet Falls to Van Trump Park (8/14/19) – twin flower, foam flower, pink and yellow monkeyflower, gray’s lovage, pearly everlasting, penstemon, harebell, alpine aster, sitka valerian, yarrow, arrowleaf groundsel, columbine (few); at Van Trump Park: lousewort, lupine, bistort, magenta paintbrush, Perry’s catchfly, pasqueflower seedheads, partridgefoot, white rhododendron, rosy spirea, mountain bog gentian
• Paradise (8/18/19) – in general moving past peak, but good patches remaining on the northeastern part of the Lakes Trail, and Pinnacle Peak, including bistort, arrowleaf groundsel, Cascade aster, pasqueflower seedhead, pearly everlasting, lupine, paintbrush

See photos at Mount Rainier Flickr group!

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.