Castle Crest Wildflower Trail

More than 200 wildflower species grow along Castle Crest Wildflower Trail.

NPS Photo/Mimi Gorman

Quick Facts

Location:

The official parking area and trailhead is located on East Rim Drive, 0.25 mile east of park headquarters. A second entrance to the trail is across the road from park headquarters at the three=way stop. This adds another 0.25 miles through the forest.

Significance:

The trail was designed and constructed in 1929.The CCC provided trail improvements in 1938.Over 200 species of wildflowers have been identified.

Amenities

2 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead

The Trail

At 6300 feet in elevation, the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail loops around a spring-fed meadow, through a mixed conifer forest, over streams, past a grassy slope, and below Castle Crest Ridge which towers 2,000 feet above the trail on the north and east sides. All this in just 0.41 miles. This trail is not accessible.

The Wildflowers

Castle Crest Wildflower Trail hosts over 200 species of wildflowers, and is surrounded by trees, shrubs, grasses, and moss. While lingering snow melts, tiny violets, buttercups, and spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa) bloom just above the soil. Shooting stars (Dodecathean alpinum) unfurl from slender stems and American bistorts (Polygonum bistortoides) flash white florets. Different species bloom as summer brings the warmth of drier, hotter days. Two of the most prolific wildflowers are Lewis' monkeyflower (Mimmulus lewsii) and paintbrush (Castillejaspp). Other favorites are the bog orchids such as (Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys), blue stickweed (Hackelia micrantha), Columbia monkshood (Aconitum columbianum) Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), and a variety of asters. White pollen skyrocket (Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. formosissima) is a gorgeous, tubular, orange flower which grows on the western pumice slope.