You are currently viewing Best Hikes to See Pacific Northwest WildflowersPin

Best Hikes to See Pacific Northwest Wildflowers

Summer in the PNW is something to get really excited about. After all the doom and gloom, the sun starts peeking out, the wildflowers bloom, and it’s no longer dark around 4 pm! The season is glorious and we’ve been trying to spend as much time outside and soak in as much sun as possible.

A couple of weeks ago, we hit the trails in search of some wildflowers! We usually have the worst luck with timing, and made it to certain spots a day or two late, but we still managed to find some. Since wildflower season comes later in the PNW, we started anticipating it after seeing our friends post about Cali’s superbloom. We were determined not to miss it this year. After a long, strenuous hike, we were met with an endless field of beautiful yellow flowers!

Best Hikes to See Washington and Oregon WildflowersPin

A big thank you to Bota Box for sponsoring this post. All opinions are always our own. This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. Read our full disclosure for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: April 4, 2019 // First Created: June 15, 2017

BEST WILDFLOWER HIKES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Thing to Do

Address, map

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Local Tip / Pro Tip / Note: dsfsdfsd

PHOTO

photo: 

As we shared on our last Bota Box adventure to Samuel H. Boardman State Park, we’re partnering with them to go explore the outdoors.

Whenever possible, we love bringing our Bota Box wines on our adventures! It’s nice getting to relax at the top of a peak or overlook while having a bite to eat and drinking our Bota Minis. The Bota Minis’ compact packaging makes them perfect for easy to moderate hikes (for strenuous ones, I recommend just water. These are our favorite travel water bottles).

Best Wildflower Hikes in Washington and OregonPin
Dog Mountain Wildflower Hike + 15 Amazing Wildflower Hikes in the Pacific NorthwestPin
Dog Mountain Hike, Columbia River Gorge, Washington + 15 Amazing Wildflower Hikes in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.com

They fit right into the compartments in my camera bag, and since they are resealable, we don’t ever worry about glasses, corkscrews, or finishing them in one sitting. If you’re camping, you can bring the original Bota Boxes that are equivalent to 4 bottles of wine per box. We loved having those on our climbing trips to Joshua Tree.

Dog Mountain Wildflowers, Columbia River Gorge, Washington + Best Wildflower Hikes in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.comPin
Wildflower Hikes with Bota Box Minis // localadventurer.comPin

As Local Adventurers, we always believe that we should never take our weekends or backyard for granted! There’s always an adventure to be found. To help you get inspired, here’s a list of awesome wildflower spots in the PNW.

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.35922, -122.61824, map

Distance: 1.4 mi loop
Elevation Gain: 160 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Best Time to Visit: Mid-April through early June
What You’ll See: Camas, Trillium, Lilies, and More

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.58852,-122.1809287, map

Distance: 7.4 mi loop
Elevation Gain: 1350 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Best Time to Visit: Late April to Early May
What You’ll See: False Solomon’s Seal, Hooker’s Fairy Bells, Candyflower, Fringecup, Fairy Lanterns, and More

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.0483103,-123.9942557, map

Distance: 6.8 mi out and back
Elevation Gain: 1310 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Best Time to Visit: Mid-May to Mid-June
What You’ll See: Hairy Checker Mallow, Cascade Head catchfly (99% of catchfly’s world population found here)

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.6999519,-121.4055847, map

Distance: 7.8 mi lollipop loop
Elevation Gain: 1,775 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Best Time to Visit: Mid-March to late April
What You’ll See: Pungent Desert Parsley, Smooth Prairie Star, Grass Widows, and More

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.657062, -121.086237, map

Distance: 6.9 mi loop
Elevation Gain: 1060 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Best Time to Visit: April
What You’ll See: Lupine, Balsamroot, Mountain Buttercup, Douglas’ Draba, and More

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.6992035,-121.7101839, map

Distance: 6.9 mi modified loop
Elevation Gain: 2800 ft
Difficulty: Difficult
Best Time to Visit: Mid-May to Early June
Traffic: Crowded
What You’ll See: Northwest Balsamroot, Columbia Gorge Lupine, Harsh Paintbrush, Spring Gold, and More

Local Tip: This hike gets very crowded especially during the spring. Do the hike either early (before 8am) or in the late afternoon. Even on a weekday, we saw the parking lot fill up quickly.

Dog Mountain Hike, Columbia River Gorge, Washington + 15 Best Wildflower Hikes in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.com

7. Iron Mountain Trail, Willamette National Forest, Foster, OR

Distance: 2.4 mi RT
Elevation Gain: 650 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 44.414678, -122.8781921 // Map
Best Time to Visit: Mid-June to Mid-July
What You’ll See: Wood Strawberry, Vanilla Leaf, Field Chickweed, Oregon Sunshine, Lupine, and More

8. Lyle Cherry Orchard, Columbia River Gorge, Lyle, Washington

Distance: 5 mi
Elevation Gain: 1160 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.6884674,-121.2601053 // Map
Best Time to Visit: April to May
What You’ll See: Panicled Death Camas, Lupine, and More

9. McNeal Point, Hood River County, OR

Distance: 10.4 mi RT
Elevation Gain: 2200 ft
Difficulty: Difficult
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.4075238,-121.7880405 // Map
Best Time to Visit: Late July
What You’ll See: Western Pasqueflower, Lupine, Piper’s Anemone, and More

10. Memaloose Hills Loop Trail, Mosier, OR

Distance: 5.2 mi
Elevation Gain: 905 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.695384,-121.33854 // Map
Best Time to Visit: Early April to Early may
What You’ll See: Desert Shooting Stars, Upland Larkspur, Brad-Leaf Lupine, Northwest Balsamroot, and More

11. Mosier Plateau, Mosier, OR

Distance: 3.5 mi
Elevation Gain:
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.684777,-121.3959485 // Map
Best Time to Visit: Early April to Early May
What You’ll See: Northwest Balsamroot, Prairie Star, Fiddleneck, Pungent Desert Parsley, and More

Trailhead Coordinates: 45.682958, -121.302225, map

Distance: 1 mi
Elevation Gain: 100 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Best Time to Visit: Mid-April to Early May
What You’ll See: Lupine, Balsamroot, and More

Rowena Plateau Hike + Best Wildflower Hikes in Oregon and Washington // localadventurer.com

13. Sheep Lake, South Cascades, WA

Distance: 5 mi
Elevation Gain: 500 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 46.8749031,-121.5199889, Map
Best Time to Visit: July
What You’ll See: Indian Paintbrush, False Hellebore, Western Pasqueflower, Valerian, and More

14. Skyline Loop Trail, Ashford, WA

Distance: 5.4 mi
Elevation Gain: 1,797 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 46.7867266,-121.7367875 // Map
Best Time to Visit: July
What You’ll See: Avalanche Lilies, Lupine, Indian Paintbrush, and More

15. Tire Mountain, Westfir, OR

Distance: 7.6 ft
Elevation Gain: 800 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Coordinates: 43.842,-122.564194 // Map
Best Time to Visit: June
What You’ll See: Cliff Larkspur, Northwest Balsamroot, Rosy Plectritis, Cardwell’s Penstemon, and More

Map of Best Hikes to See Pacific Northwest Wildflowers

PRO TIPS FOR HIKING TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILDFLOWERS

  • Keep in mind that the blooming season varies every year. Use the best times to visit as a general guideline, but check the wildflower reports before you go.
  • Be respectful of wildflowers and help preserve them for others to enjoy. Don’t pick or trample through meadows. Stick to trails, try to stand on rocks or packed down dirt, rather than plant life.
  • Know your plants! There are some areas that have a lot of poison oak mixed amongst the wildflowers. “Leaves of three, let them be” might help you remember what to avoid.

What to Pack for the Pacific Northwest

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3303172″]

Best Places to Stay

  • To Do
  • To Do
  • To Do

What kind of adventures will you be chasing after this summer? Have you done any of these Pacific Northwest wildflower hikes?

Did you enjoy this post? Pin it for later

15 Amazing Wildflower Hikes in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.comPin
Best Wildflower Hikes in the PNW - Where to Find the Best Wildflowers in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.comPin
Best Wildflower Hikes in the PNW - Where to Find the Best Wildflowers in the Pacific Northwest // localadventurer.comPin
estherandjacob-400pxPin

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Portland Oregon.

Local Adventurer on Pinterest Local Adventurer on Youtube