Washington in Bloom: 12 Spring Hikes for Wildflowers
With their bright pops of color tucked into our green forests or scattered across our central scablands, wildflowers herald a warmer, sunnier hiking season. From marshy yellow skunk cabbage to unlikely glacier lilies, you can find early spring wildflowers all over the state this time of year.
In Washington, we have a wildflower season that lasts from March through August. With so many unique ecosystems right in our backyard, many incredible flowers have found their niche.
The rich variety of flora could have you hiking for decades and still finding new wonders on the forest floor. Early spring is the perfect time to stride out on trail to see big, showy balsamroot, delicate calypso orchids or bright salmonberry bushes in bloom.
Tips for finding wildflowers
- Use the advanced search on Hiking Guide and trip reports to seek out the latest and greatest bloom. After your hike, file your own report, to let others know where the action is.
- If you don't have a lot of time, search for botanical gardens near town.
- Use our wildflower guide, April though August: Wildflowers in Washington (PDF)
- Grab a guidebook, like Best Wildflower Hikes: Washington.
- Subscribe to our free monthly email newsletter, and get seasonal hiking destinations and tips delivered to your inbox.
Grass Camp
Location: Snoqualmie Region -- Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
Mileage: 6.2 miles, roundtrip
Teanaway views go on for days. Photo by trip reporter jeshartmann.
The Grass Camp Trail has plenty of loop opportunities in the wildflower-rich Teanaway -- connecting hikers with extremely scenic high country, massive basalt cliffs and shady lodgepole pine forests.
> Plan your trip to Grass Camp Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Lower mad river valley
Location: Central Cascades -- Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
Mileage: 14.9 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain: 2500 feet
A cluster of balsamroot poking our from the trailside. Photo by trip reporter Bob and Barb.
Hike for a little or hike for a lot, this early-season trail features rocky canyons, fragrant ponderosa pine forests and a hefty helping of wildflowers. Make sure to pack your flower ID book because you’re likely to find a number of beauties, including Columbia Clematis, Hooker's fairybells, Star-flowered and False Solomon's Seal, long-flowered Bluebells. lavender pea-flowers, Larkspur, Popcorn flowers, Balsamroot, and Scarlet Gilia. This area is a great alternate to the popular 17-mile thru-hike on the nearby Chelan Lakeshore Trail.
> Plan your trip to Lower Mad River Valley using WTA's Hiking Guide
Weldon wagon road
Location: Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge
Mileage: 5.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1290 feet
Yellow Balsamroot blooms carpet the meadows during the springtime. Photo by trip reporter maple.
Hop aboard for an early-season wildflower bloom amid open terrain and open air. The Oregon white oak woodlands with open ridgetop meadows, wildflowers, and views of the White Salmon Valley make this a delightful hike that is off the beaten track. While this area is worth a visit all year long, springtime is when it really shines.
> Plan your trip to Weldon Wagon Road using WTA's Hiking Guide
Big Huckleberry Mountain
Location: Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge
Mileage: 11.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2,930
A colorful mix of flowers with a view of Mount Hood in the background. Photo by trip reporter cptf.
From the trailhead, make your way through wildflower meadows, forests, and views of the expansive Columbia Gorge below you. And, there is no need to make the entire 11.5-mile trek. Many hikers stop at Grassy Knoll, (2.2 miles from the trailhead) content to bask in the views of Mounts Hood and Adams. But those bound for Big Huckleberry Mountain continue on, weaving onward through wildflower meadows and forest.
> Plan your trip to Big Huckleberry Mountain using WTA's Hiking Guide
> Get more ideas for Columbia River Gorge spring hikes
Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area
Location: Central Washington, near Yakima
Mileage: 8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1750 feet
Lupines blooming over the Whiskey Dick Ridge. Photo by David Hagen.
Wander among a wide variety of wildflowers—including a rare species of cactus, Simpson’s hedgehog, with its hot pink blossoms—chunks of petrified wood, and panoramic views of the Columbia Basin, under usually sunny, blue skies. Bring your camera and your field guide. For those hikers who prefer vistas or bird-watching to finding flora, there's plenty of that to go around, too.
> Plan your trip to Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area using WTA's Hiking Guide
SnoW Mountain Ranch
Location: Central Washington, near Yakima
Mileage: 9.2 miles (with shorter options)
Elevation Gain: Varies
Patches of balsamroot and lupine dotting the foreground at Cowiche Mountain. Photo by mytho-man.
Head towards Yakima for some of the best wildflower shows in the state. Spend the day roaming on this former ranch, which in spring is cloaked in wildflowers! Keep your eyes peeled for the delightfully bright hedgehog cacti, bitterroot and more.
> Plan your trip to Snow Mountain Ranch using WTA's Hiking Guide
Rimrock lake
Location: Central Washington -- Potholes Region
Mileage: 3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 235 feet
Flowers line the trail on the approach to Frog Lake. Photo (c) David Hagen
Sitting inside the 30,000 acre Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Frog Lake, and the nearby Crab Creek and Marsh Loop trails provide hours of trail exploration. With basalt views, sagebrush-steppe, rocky cliffs and budding wildflowers you won't run out of beautiful views to take in—just watch out for ticks!
> Plan your trip to Rimrock Lake using WTA's Hiking Guide
Puffer Butte
Location: Eastern Washington - Blue Mountains
Mileage: 4.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
The spring views from Puffer Butte. Photo by Melanie Harding.
Tucked into the southeast corner of the state, this little trail in Field Spring State Park rewards with big views and solitude. The time to visit for wildflowers is now, when snow melt is feeding the first flush of wildflowers (and before things begin to heat up).
> Plan your trip to Puffer Butte using WTA's Hiking Guide
Mima Mounds
Location: Olympia
Mileage: 2.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 10 feet
Camas in bloom at Mima Mounds. Photo by blamecanada.
While many wildflowers have roots here, but these mysterious hills are best enjoyed when Washington's native camas blooms blanket the rolling open landscape. This destination is a good one for families looking to just spend the day outside, and has paved trails for strollers or wheelchairs.
> Plan your trip to Mima Mounds using WTA's Hiking Guide
Anderson lake state park
Location: Olympic Peninsula -- Northern Coast
Mileage: 8.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: 80 feet
Greenery at Anderson Lake State Park. Photo by batman and wakerobin..
With more than ten trails to choose from at Anderson Lake State Park, there are plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Bring the kids, the dog, your mountain bike, and even your horse, and mix and match the trails to your heart’s content to explore a little over eight miles of serene and shady forest trails. Pass through grassy marshes, patches of wild strawberries, salmonberries, and huckleberries, over tidy walking bridges, and through a forest of young and old cedars, firs, and deciduous trees.
> Plan your trip to Anderson Lake State Park using WTA's Hiking Guide
Sugarloaf
Location: Puget Sound & Islands -- Bellingham area
Mileage: 2.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 890 feet
Wildflowers dot the hills of Sugarloaf. Photo by hikingwithlittledogs.
The network of trails on the Anacortes Community Forest Lands is extensive enough that you can spend all day hiking and exploring here. Keep your eyes peeled for camas and delicate avalanche lilies dotting the hillsides. Don't forget to look up from your wildflower hunt every now and then to take in the views of the sound, too!
> Plan your trip to Sugarloaf using WTA's Hiking Guide
Mica Peak to Liberty Lake Traverse
Location: Eastern Washington -- Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
Mileage: 11.5 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain: 2600 feet
Photo by trip reporter EastsideAnne.
Thanks to planning and partnerships from WTA and local land managers, this fantastic new trail is located on a parcel of public land very close to Spokane. Get a full-day hike just 30 minutes from downtown!
> Plan your trip to Mica Peak to Liberty Lake Traverse using WTA's Hiking Guide