Flower Update For Mount Rainier National Park!

Mount Rainier from the Naches Peak trail.

Have you been out to see the flowers at Mount Rainier yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?  There are lots of great showings right now!

Tipsoo Lakes are sporting an excellent show right now - probably peak.  Yakima Park at Sunrise and Berkely Park are also rocking the look, with peak probably happening later this week, based on what I saw last Saturday.

The Naches Peak Loop trail is looking very nice right now.  I would guess peak is still a few days away - maybe by this weekend.

Grand Park still looks very nice based on reports I've received, but is on its way out as one would expect.

If you are a fan of avalanche lilies, Spray Park or Lake Eunice is for you!  The Paradise area is also offering a carpet of white as most of the snow melts.  I would guess Paradise and Mazama Ridge are still on target for their prime show around the second weekend of August or so.

I hope this helps in your planning!  If you have any additional beta, please feel free to share.  Hope to see you on the trail!

Edit 8/1:  The park web site is stating flowers at Sunrise have indeed reached peak!

Flowers at Mount Rainier!

Mount Rainier above Yakima Park at sunrise.

It's that time of year again!  Yes, it is flower season at Mount Rainier, with beautiful displays appearing in select locations.

Stevens Canyon Road and the Sunrise Road are currently sporting impressive showings of lupine, aster, paintbrush and more.

Berkeley Park is ablaze in color right now, as are Owyhigh Lakes and Eagle Peak saddle.

Lupine is on display all along the Sourdough Ridge Trail and below Dege Peak.

While the flower display in Yakima Park at Sunrise is well underway, I believe they will be more impressive in another week or so. I would expect the same to be true for Summerland.

Avalanche and Glacier lilies can be found at Paradise, Indian Henry's, Van Trump Park & Spray Park, as well as along the trail to Gobblers Knob.  Heather is also in early bloom at Paradise and Mazama Ridge.

Remember that with along with flower season come those pesky mosquitos and biting flies.  Don't forget to pack your bug spray!

A Recent Visit to Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier reflected in Upper Tipsoo Lake before sunrise.

I spent this past weekend up at Mount Rainier, enjoying the opening of Sunrise for the season.  Hooray!

Snow is melting fast, and flowers are only weeks away on the north side of the mountain.  But why wait for flowers when scenes like this present themselves?

This image is from Upper Tipsoo Lake.  I arrived at 3:30 am (yes, you read that correctly) in hopes of doing some star photography.  Unfortunately, the half moon in the sky had me casting shadows on the snow, and washed out all stars over the mountain.

So I sat and waited for sunrise.

While I waited, I composed this image as the Earth's shadow with it's classic blue and pink colored ribbon, reflected in the calm water of the lake.  It was a very peaceful and serene setting, making the early hour worth while (as always).

To see more images from Mount Rainier, please visit my Mount Rainier Gallery.

Thank you for visiting.