Columbia Hills State Park - Crawford Ranch Trail — Sunday, Apr. 20, 2025

The balsam root and lupine did not disappoint on this windy day at Dalles Mountain Ranch. We walked the smaller loop and were in awe at the yellows and purples. The desert parsley is also abundant along the way. Lots of phlox along the upper route, too. I finished by walking down to the Crawford Owks trailhead while my husband finished the loop to retrieve our car. He definitely made the prettier choice. There wasn’t much to note along the 1.3 miles down to the Crawford Oaks trailhead. Thought the blooming cherry trees were lovely. I found myself wishing I’d turned back and finished the loop. We were short on time, so I ventured onward.