Photo and text by Don Paulson
Wildflower Meadow Olympic National Park
I discovered this wonderful flower-filled meadow while on a seven day backpack across the Olympics. The photo was taken early one morning near Hayden Pass. The sun hadn't yet reached the meadow and the colors of the lupine and Indian paintbrush were stunning.
You don't have to make extended hiking trips to see beautiful alpine and subalpine wildflower displays. Visit Hurricane Ridge just as the winter's snow is leaving and you will see fields of early blooming plants such as glacier lilies and avalanche lilies. A little later, in July and August, you can see fields of lupine and Indian paintbrush and many other alpine wildflowers in full bloom.
Refer to the "Where to See Wildflowers" Section for more good ideas on where and when to find wildflowers.