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 wildflowers in Oregon, which can be seen all along its meadows, 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!

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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.

1. Rowena Plateau - Columbia River Gorge

Rowena Plateau Trail, Oregon 97040, USA
Anna Gorin/Moment Collection via Getty Images
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.

2. Mosier Plateau - Columbia River Gorge

Mosier Plateau Trail, 1 Mosier Creek Pl, Mosier, OR 97040, USA
JPLDesigns/iStock via Getty Images Plus
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.

3. Marys Peak - Siuslaw National Forest

Marys Peak, Oregon 97370, USA
Gail Johnson/500Px Plus Collection via Getty Images
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.

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4. Iron Mountain Trail - Willamette National Forest

Iron Mountain Trail, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, USA
Steve Liu/AllTrails
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.

5. Table Rock Trail - Jackson County

Table Rock Trail, Cornerstone Rd, Oregon 97502, USA
Dan Algeo/AllTrails
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.

6. Mt. Ashland - Siskiyou Peak Botanical Special Interest Area

Siskiyou Peak, Oregon 97520, USA
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
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.

7. Painted Hills - John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, 32651 OR-19, Mitchell, OR 97750, USA
Danita Delimont/Getty Images
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.

Another wonderful place to walk among the wildflowers in Oregon is by the lake. Here are some of our favorite lakes in Oregon that you can explore in the spring:

 

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. Where are your favorite places to enjoy wildflowers in Oregon?

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!

The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival Will Have Over 40 Acres of Tulips In Bloom This Spring

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More to Explore

Oregon Wildflowers

Chris Muras | March 08, 2024

Where are some of the best places to see wildflowers in Oregon?
It is nearly impossible to pick the best place to see wildflowers in Oregon because we are surrounded by beautiful places to explore in the spring. Here are a few of our favorite places to see wildflowers in Oregon that we think you'll enjoy too:

  • Camassia Nature Preserve, West Linn, OR: One of our favorite things to do in the spring is to get out on those trails to spot as many fresh new wildflowers popping out of the chilly ground as we can. One special place that draws us back year after year is the Camassia Nature Preserve. The main loop trail is absolutely gorgeous with its wooden boardwalk surrounded by an explosion of color. You'll spot big fury bumble bees chugging along from flower to flower and delicate butterflies dancing along behind them. You'll also be able to take some great photos of Mount Hood peaking over the treeline.
  • Cone Peak Trail, Cascadia, OR: Another wonderful hiking trail to enjoy wildflowers is Cone Peak Trail which branches off from the Tombstone Pass Trailhead. The hike loops around 7.1 miles of beautiful forest with open mountain views of Iron Mountain and fields of stunning flowers. You'll probably feel like bursting out in song like we do. Which is perfectly okay, we won't tell.
  • Tom McCall Preserve, Rowena, OR: Anywhere around the Columbia River Gorge is stunning in the spring, but this is one of our favorites. The Tom McCall Preserve is around 231 acres of simply breathtaking views of Mount Hood, the Columbia River, and vast fields of wildflowers. It is one of those trails you'll want to explore in late February to catch the first flowers peaking out from the earth and then again in April, May, and June to enjoy as many of the 200-plus species of flowers at every stage of growth.

In the spring, you really can't go wrong on any of the many nature trails you'll find all over Oregon. Whether you are stopping for a quick jaunt on your wildflower road trip or taking a day just for hiking. Before you go, check out AllTrails+ to get more trail info and current maps.

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