Penstemon wildflowers growing along the road to Sunrise.
NPS Photo
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.
Ecological Restoration - Watch short videos about the Ecological Restoration program's work in the park.
Paintbrush blooming along Stevens Canyon Road, 6/6/24.
NPS Photo
Currently Blooming
Last Updated: June 7, 2024
Many wildflowers are starting to bloom at lower elevations in the park. The eastern half of Stevens Canyon Road (from Stevens Canyon Entrance to about Stevens Creek) already has good displays of paintbrush, penstemon, monkeyflower, and more. The western half of Stevens Canyon Road, climbing up to Reflection Lakes towards Paradise, still has snow though flowers like spreading phlox are starting to show as the snow melts back from the edges of the roadway. This patch of harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida) is one of several bringing color to the canyon. Paintbrush “blooms” are actually modified leaves, called bracts, and leaves along the stems can also have color.
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
Stevens Canyon Road (6/6) - from east entrance moving west: bear grass, columbine, wild strawberry, harsh paintbrush, lupine, yellow monkeyflower, cliff penstemon, Menzie's penstemon, Sitka mountain ash, buttercup suksdorfia; west of Stevens Creek (higher elevations): trillium, spreading phlox, few early glacier lily
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 andSunrise 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.
