Summer Wildflower Hikes

Purple monkshood. Photo by Susan Elderkin.

Washington's mountains offer a colorful array of wildflowers, from the blooming trillium that signals the arrival of spring in the lowlands to patches of laughing monkeyflower clinging to subalpine streamsides in August.

Most hikes will sport some wildflowers to enjoy along the way, but for some hikes, flowers are a showcase. 2011 has been an odd year for wildflowers. Some traditional wildflower hikes - Park Butte, Paradise flower trails and Gothic Basin - are still snowed in well into August. Most hikes are about a month behind, peaking in late August when they usually peak in July.

So where can you find delightful flower fields? We selected ten hikes with that will impress the most casual wildlfower admirer - and also wildflower experts. One word of advice, however: where there are wildflower meadows, there are flies and mosquitoes. Be prepared with appropriate clothing and bug repellant.

And if you'd like more recommendations, go to the Trip Report search page and do an Advanced Search for "wildflowers blooming."

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North Cascades

Cascade Pass - Sahale Arm

Wildflowers on the Cascade Pass - Sahale Arm trail, with a spectacular backdrop. Photo by Albert88.

Location: North Cascades
Round Trip: 12 miles
Elevation Gain: 3600' to 7200'
Best Season: July - August

From the parking lot on, this trail delivers stunning views, glorious wildflower meadows along Sahale Arm and an almost guaranteed chance of seeing a marmot. You may be tempted to stay at Cascade Pass, but push on for the ultimate in sub-alpine glory.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Tiffany Mountain

Scarlet paintbrush color the trail to Tiffany Mountain. Photo by D. Inscho.

Location: Okanogan Highlands
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1740' to 8242'
Best Season: July - Early August

Looking for solitude in high, wide-open country that is teaming with wildflowers? Tiffany Mountain is the place to go. Enjoy blue lupine, valerian, and stonecrop and more as you stroll up one of the highest, easily hiked peaks in the state.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide.

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Central Cascades

Cady Ridge

Cady Ridge - where wildflowers put on a show! Photo by Kim Brown.

Location: Lake Wenatchee
Round Trip: 13 miles
Elevation Gain: 2700' to 5550'
Best Season: Late June - Aug.

The alpine meadows of wildflowers stretch for miles. How about lupine, valerian, yellow daisy, purple aster, bistort, lupine, paintbrush? The views aren't bad either. This makes a great overnight backpack trip, and the trail connects with others to make a longer adventure out of it.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Kendall Katwalk

Tiger lily on Kendall Katwalk. Photo by Maddy.

Location: Snoqualmie Pass
Round Trip: 11 miles
Elevation Gain: 2700' to 5400'
Best Season: Late June - Aug.

Kendall Katwalk is one of the most popular sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, and it is easy to see why. A cool forest ascent launches hikers to a dynamited cliff catwalk. For flora lovers with a fear of heights, a rich variety of wildflowers can be enjoyed in the Kendall Gardens before you hit the scary stuff.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Tronsen Ridge

Tronsen Ridge is known for its tweedy lewisia in early summer. Photo by Bob and Barb.

Location: near Cle Elum
Round Trip: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000' to 5800'
Best Season: June - Early July

A wonderful wildflower ramble, particularly rewarding at the end of June when the west side of the mountains are socked in. The way is gentle, climbing just 1000 feet in four miles. As Trip Reporter HikerJim put it, "First is grassy meadow covered in lupine, paintbrush, mariposa lilies, lousewort, balsamroot, and many more. Then comes forest followed by desert rock gardens, then forest, and on and on." The flowers are simply abundant.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Olympics

Mount Townsend

Pacific Rhododendrons are found most abundantly on trails in the eastern Olympic Peninsula and along Hood Canal. Photo by Dave Schiefelbein.

Location: Olympics - East
Round Trip: 12 miles
Elevation Gain: 2000' to 5200'
Best Season: Mid-June - Aug.

Where can you see Washington's state flower in its native environment? The Coast Rhododendron is found along several hiking trails on the Olympic Peninsula. This trail showcases the rhodies along its lower reaches in late June and early July. And for those who proceed, they'll be treated to an enjoyable field of phlox atop the mountain (and some sweet views too).

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

Sunrise Ridge

A fawn lingers among the lupine at Sunrise Ridge. Photo by Bob and Barb.

Location: Olympics - North
Round Trip: 5.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000' to 5500'
Best Season: July - August

You can't go wrong finding wildflowers at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. While the hordes head up the paved path to Hurricane Hill, solitude seekers climb up the Mount Angeles trail and branch off to attain Sunrise Ridge. Phlox, penstemon, lupine, bistort, larkspur and more greet hikers here.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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South Cascades

Summerland

Summerland = wildflowers at their finest. Photo by Bob and Barb.

Location: Mount Rainier
Round Trip: 8.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1950' to 5900'
Best Season: July - August

Guidebook author Dan Nelson calls Summerland "the single most spectacular day hike in the entire park." Mountain views, glaciers, marmots, goats and flowers - this hike has it all. The meadows of Summerland are renowned for their beauty. Go here once, and you'll already be planning your return.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Snowgrass Flat

Snowgrass Flat rarely disappoints wildflower lovers. Photo by Jennifer S.

Location: Goat Rocks
Round Trip: 8.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1600' to 5800'
Best Season: Late July - Early Sept.

Yowza! Glorious meadows and fabulous views on this popular hike in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Expect huge fields of lupine in early August, but look closely and you'll see so much more. Hikers willing to push on a little further will be pleased with the flowers up on Goat Ridge as well.

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Bird Creek Meadows

The Bird Creek Meadows trail sports a section called 'Trail of Flowers.' Photo by Jason Racey.

Location: Yakama Nation - east of Mount Adams
Round Trip: 3.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 500' to 6085'
Best Season: July - September

This out-of-the-way gem offers a sneak peak at some of the best country within the Yakama Indian Nation. The short loop trail is great for families and for wildflower enthusiasts who plan to spend a lot of time with their field guides and camera. The meadows are so spectacular that part of the hike is along what is officially called the "Trail of Flowers."

>> Read more in our Hiking Guide

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Know Your Flowers

How many times have you been on a trail and thought, “Wow, what is that flower?” Sure, most hikers can tell a trillium from a columbine, but have you marveled at the subtle beauty of yellow bells, laughed out loud at the goofy muppet heads of western pasqueflower, or noticed that paintbrush come in a full spectrum of colors? You don't have to be an expert to appreciate the beauty of wildflowers, but a little knowledge can go a long way towards enjoying the dozens of species of wildflowers that grace the landscapes we hike through.

In 2008, Washington Trails magazine published a full-color guide to 50 common mountain wildflower species in the Cascades and Olympics. You can view the guide as a PDF here.

Looking for a guidebook to Washington's best wildflower hikes? You are in luck. Check out Best Wildflower Hikes, Washington by Art Kruckeberg, Craig Romano and Karen Sykes, published by Mountaineers Books.