By Christine Gianas Weinheimer EBS CONTRIBUTOR
From the rainbow
shades of hot springs, to the multi-hued Canyon walls, a full spectrum of
colors can be discovered year-round in Yellowstone National Park. But the park
is at its most colorful in summer when wildflowers burst forth in abundance. Yellowstone’s
peak wildflower season usually starts in June and extends through mid-July.
For some
tips on experiencing the summer wildflower display in Yellowstone, we checked
with Robert Petty, Senior Director of Education for the Yellowstone Forever
Institute. He says if you’d like to admire a variety of blooms, visit various habitats.
“Yellowstone
is made up of diverse habitats, and the wildflowers you’ll find within them are
all different,” explained Petty. “For example, glacier lilies live in conifer
forests at higher elevation. Other wildflowers are found in drier areas, or
near thermal features.”
When in the
park’s geyser basins you’ll see flowers, such as the Rocky Mountain fringed
gentian, that prefer the steamy habitat surrounding geysers and hot springs. While
passing through any area that has recently experienced wildfire, you might see pinkish-purple
fireweed, so named because it is one of the first new plants to appear after a
fire.
Petty suggests
that a best bet to see plentiful wildflowers is the park’s Northern Range,
including Mammoth and the Lamar Valley. The dry, sagebrush landscape is
hospitable to a huge variety, such as the large pink blossoms of bitterroot—the
state flower of Montana—and evening primrose, which only blooms at night.
Dunraven
Pass, between Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon, also boasts a wide array of flowers.
“The bursts of blooms are highly visible along the road,” Petty said. “Look for
lupine, paintbrush and spectacular yellow fields of arrowleaf balsamroot, a
member of the sunflower family.”
While you’ll
see slopes awash in color as you drive around the park, Petty says that the true
charm of wildflowers will mostly be revealed to those on foot. “It’s the type
of experience where you really want to be out of your car and on a trail to
fully appreciate the beauty.”
He
recommends a few hikes to see wildflowers up close: Garnet Hill Loop Trail near
Tower Junction; Trout Lake Trail in Lamar Valley; Beaver Ponds Trail near
Mammoth; and Mount Washburn Trail off of Dunraven Pass.
Especially
if you are less familiar with the region’s wildflowers, a guidebook will help
greatly with identification. But be aware that collecting any type of plant is
against park regulations, so enjoy and photograph the wildflowers, but don’t
pick them.
“The great
thing about wildflowers is that they are all over the park and don’t take that
much effort to see,” Petty added. “While you are busy looking for grizzlies and
wolves, don’t forget to stop and see the amazing flora around you.”
Want to
learn more about Yellowstone’s wildflowers? The Yellowstone Forever Institute
will offer a field seminar, “Meandering Through Wildflowers,” July 5-8. Visit
yellowstone.org to learn more.
Christine Gianas Weinheimer lives in Bozeman and has been writing
about Yellowstone for 17 years.
