Take This Road Trip To The 7 Most Eye-Popping Wildflower Fields In Oregon
Oregon offers some of the best year-round hiking opportunities in the country, but hiking in the spring is truly extraordinary. As the state emerges from the grey gloom of winter, its scenery comes alive with color. This is the magic of Oregon’s wildflowers, which can be seen all along its meadows and valleys, mountainsides and forests. It’s a veritable treasure hunt of color as these wildflowers bloom — typically at their peak between April and early June. Take this road trip to the seven most eye-popping wildflower fields in Oregon, and experience the full splendor of spring in The Beaver State!
The full Oregon Wildflower Road Trip clocks in at 15 hours, but any of these incredible places could be visited on their own this spring. Please note that the wildflowers all reach 'peak' bloom between April and May, but Mother Nature doesn't always adhere to a set schedule. Either way, this road trip will take you to not only some of the most incredible wildflowers in Oregon, but also some of the state's most resplendent wonders.
Rowena Plateau is a stunning viewpoint and trailhead along the Historic Columbia River Highway, offering spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge. The view includes the iconic Rowena Loops — the dramatic horseshoe curves that wind up to the eponymous viewpoint. Each spring, Rowena Plateau bursts into bloom, showcasing some of the most glorious wildflowers in the state.
Also located in the Columbia River Gorge is Mosier Plateau, which is a vision of cheery wildflower meadows in April and May. This trail is part of a network of trails along throughout the Columbia River Gorge, and offers some of the very best views of this natural wonder.
Known for downright dizzying views of the sprawling Cascade Range, the view from the top of Marys Peak is absolutely sublime. Marys Peak stands tall at more than 4,100 feet tall'; and in the spring when it's covered in flourishing wildflowers,
you will have a full-on, Sound of Music moment.
Known for its wildflowers, Oregon's Willamette National Forest transformed into someplace truly sublime each spring. And you can enjoy these blooms a bit later in the season, too. Cone Peak Trail, winds through old-growth forest, emerging into a clearing adorned with yellow stonecrop, pink penstemon, and purple larkspur well into June. You'll see endless wildflowers along this 2.4-mile loop, which continues into the Iron Mountain Trail (pictured), which rewards patient explorers with prismatic panoramas of the Cascades.
In Southern Oregon, you'll find hundreds of wildflowers blooming on the Table Rock Trail, including the incredibly rare dwarf-wooly meadowfoam. This diminutive little gem grows on top of Table Rock -- and nowhere else in the world. It looks like an actual ray of sunshine.
Mt. Ashland - Siskiyou Peak Botanical Special Interest Area
This region in Southern Oregon is a vision in and of itself. It's a magical place where the Cascade, Great Basin, and Coast Range-Klamath ecosystems come together. It's also one to visit later in the spring; because of the high elevation, the wildflowers do not start to flower until the snow banks melt in May and June. This botanical area is home to hundreds to wildflower species, including the delightful pink Orthocarpus.
Painted Hills - John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
As its name implies, the Painted Hills is a colorful region in Eastern Oregon, part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. One of Oregon's seven natural wonders, each of the hills' colorful layers signifies a different geological era, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain. During the spring, the hills come alive with color; a luminous halo of yellow wildflowers making the Painted Hills glow.
There’s an iconic scene in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy emerges from the black-and-white world of Kansas, and into the technicolor splendor of Oz. That’s the magic of springtime in Oregon—and these wildflower fields are a delightful way to welcome in the new season.
If you can’t get enough beautiful blooms, there’s an iconic tulip farm in Oregon that absolutely needs to be included in your spring bucket list!
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Address: Rowena Plateau Trail, Oregon 97040, USA
Address: Mosier Plateau Trail, Mosier, OR 97040, USA
Address: Marys Peak, Oregon 97370, USA
Address: Iron Mountain Trail, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, USA
Address: Cornerstone Rd, Oregon 97502, USA
Address: Siskiyou Peak, Oregon 97520, USA
Address: Painted Hills, Oregon 97750, USA
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I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
