10 National Parks to Visit During Wildflower Season

One of the best parts about America’s national parks is that they have so many unique things to offer anyone who visits. No matter what season, there is something to see or a new park waiting for you to explore. As the ice starts to thaw and the snow finally melts, spring is the perfect time to see wildflowers! Here are 10 national parks to visit during wildflower season.

10 National Parks to Visit During Wildflower Season

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The flowers bloom here nearly every month of the year. During the early spring and end of winter, you can find orchids and ephemerals, while coneflowers and black-eyed Susans steal the show in summer.

Don't miss this guide to Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

A desert park might not be your first choice, but you can go on wildflower hikes here in the Pinto Basin as early as February! The wildflower season lasts from February and March but you can still see wildflowers into April and May at higher elevations.

Glacier National Park

There are over 1,000 different species of wildflowers at this national park. Come spring, Lake McDonald is full of blooms and the summer warmth brings even more floral blooms to the higher elevations of this national park.

Mount Rainier National Park

You can’t beat the snow-capped peaks and the splashes of violet along the way. You can find meadows of wildflowers here in late July and early August.

Visit Paradise Mt. Rainier: A Local's Guide to Get the Most of a Day Trip

Pinnacles National Park

There are a bunch of bulbous rocks here and with wildflowers adding color to this landscape from March through May, you can see 80% of the flowers in full bloom here. The best places to see them are on Moses Spring Trail or Old Pinnacles Trail Loop.

Rocky Mountain National Park

During wildflower season, this park has fields of black-eyed Susans and other beautiful wildflowers throughout the park. Since this park has such a high elevation, you won’t see many of these budding flowers until late spring and into June.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

This national park has valleys full of wildflowers from spring and into the late summer. You’ll find everything from violets to Virginia bluebells here which make these glacier landscapes come to life during the spring.

Shenandoah National Park

During the spring, Shenandoah has a bright mosaic of colors with more than 850 different wildflowers to show off! You can see wildflowers from late spring and into the summer depending on the elevation.

Saguaro National Park

The desert scenery gets a touch of spring with poppies and desert chicory during wildflower season here. You’ll see wildflowers here from spring and all the way into fall.

Grand Teton National Park

This park only has 60 days of frost-free days each year, and during this time you’ll see a growing and blooming wildflower season in between that short window! The peak season is July and August, but you can still find some during early fall and late spring.

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Looking for more National Parks? Check out the best 7-day Grand Circle Road Trip! 

Wildflowers are quite the sight to see at most national parks, but these parks have the best views of them! When they cover desert flats and mountain slopes, you’ll be glad you visited these parks to see them.

Can't get to the National Parks? Check out one of our favorite family board games all about the National Parks!

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