9 Places to See Wildflowers Without Crowds in the West

In the days before the internet, it took dedication and expertise to know when and where to see the best wildflowers. Now, with social media, the locations of prime displays are broadcast far and wide. The good news is that this means more people can witness wildflowers at their peak. The bad news: Locations once known only to landscape photographers and serious wildflower fanatics can quickly get overrun by selfie-seekers—who sometimes go off-trail and damage the ecosystem.

The main rule for being a good steward of the blooms: When you go out to see wildflowers, go light on the land. Never pick flowers or wander off trail to traipse through delicate meadows—even if it means you don’t get that perfect shot. 

These less-crowded wildflower destinations around the West aren’t way off the beaten path, but most are far enough from major cities to keep visitation down. Timing and quality of wildflowers vary annually, so check conditions before your trip.  

Alaska

Denali National Park & Preserve

Denali National Park & Preserve encompasses 9,531 square miles—that’s bigger than Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut combined. Fortunately, one of the park’s top wildflower destinations, especially in June and early July, starts near the Denali Visitor Center, not deep in the backcountry. Hike the 9.5-mile (one way) Triple Lakes Trail to see abundant wildflowers, from stands of fireweed to tiny Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, Alaska’s state flower. The trail becomes less busy the farther you go. (Note: Many hotels and businesses have shuttles that will bring you to the Denali Visitor Center at the northern trailhead, but if you’re hiking one-way, you’ll need a car waiting for you at the southern end.)

Eveline State Recreation Site

Along Kachemak Bay, the town of Homer is best known for its art scene and halibut fishing. But just 20 minutes away, you can also catch a terrific wildflower display at Eveline State Recreation Site. From June through August, follow an easy two-mile trail (complete with helpful flower guides at the trailhead kiosk) to see meadows thick with lupine, fireweed, and monks’ hood.

Arizona

Bartlett Reservoir, Tonto National Forest

For anyone who thinks of Arizona as a lifeless desert, a spring outing at Bartlett Reservoir in Tonto National Forest will be a revelation. An hour from downtown Scottsdale, Bartlett Reservoir puts on dazzling wildflower shows—at least in good years—with slopes blanketed by Mexican gold poppies and Coulter’s lupine. You might even spot rare white poppies. 

Hike a section of the sometimes steep and gravelly Palo Verde Trail for gorgeous views of these desert wildflowers with the lake as a backdrop. The bloom typically lasts from March into April. Then in May, it’s the saguaros’ turn as bouquets of creamy blossoms sprout from the tips of their twisting arms.

California

Jepson Prairie Preserve

While much of California’s Central Valley has given way to agriculture, the Sacramento Valley’s Jepson Prairie Preserve offers a glimpse of what used to be. The preserve protects rare vernal pools and bunchgrass prairie and is also a habitat for migratory waterfowl. As the seasonal pools recede in early March, wildflowers such as goldfields blossom and create a corona of yellows and violets along the water’s edge. To best experience the bloom and get a deeper appreciation of Jepson’s environment, join a docent-led tour on weekends from mid-March through mid-May.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

With elevations of nearly 5,000 feet and a location at the confluence of the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin geological provinces, Lassen Volcanic National Park is known for its wildflower diversity. In fact, over 700 species thrive at this park in northeast California, including mountain mule’s ears, which color Lassen’s hillsides with vibrant yellows. The Mill Creek Falls Trail is a good place to spot this member of the sunflower family, as is the short but steep Ridge Lakes Trail. And not only does Lassen have a big range of species, the long wildflower season also stretches from late May through September.

Montana

Glacier National Park

After Montana’s brutal winter, Glacier National Park comes alive with impressive wildflower displays that begin in May and peak in late July and early August. With nearly 1,000 species (including seven kinds of Indian paintbrush), Glacier’s bloom starts at lower elevations with the white flowers of beargrass dappling the landscape. Among the park’s annual highlights is the glacier lily bloom. These yellow flowers emerge shortly after the snow melts in higher elevation meadows, typically in late July. Hidden Lake Overlook trail is a dependable (if sometimes busy) spot for glacier lilies. Check at park visitor centers for other possible locations.  

Utah

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Easily reached from Interstate 15 yet far enough from Las Vegas and Salt Lake City to limit crowds, Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah tops out at over 10,000 feet in elevation. Peak wildflower displays begin in July and can be remarkable, thanks to the monument’s 260 wildflower species, including vivid blooms of Indian paintbrush and Colorado columbine.

For an easier wildflower hike, try the Alpine Pond Loop Trail, while the more challenging South Rim Trail follows the rim and takes in views of the monument’s amphitheater of turret-like formations known as hoodoos. A good time to visit is during the two-week Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival in July, which includes ranger-led wildflower outings.

Nevada

Great Basin National Park 

Near the Nevada-Utah border, Great Basin National Park is one of the country’s least-visited national parks. But anyone who has come here can tell you that the park is a spectacular summer wildflower destination. Look for white prickly poppies and golden peas along Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. At the road’s end, you might see mountain bluebells and starburst-like crimson columbines along the accessible Sky Island Forest Trail. Or head out on the 3.3-mile Baker Creek Loop, where a rich assortment of flowers brightens the trail’s meadows and edges the creek. 

Wyoming

Snowy Range Area, Medicine Bow National Forest  

While the Snowy Range mountains outside Laramie lack the name recognition of Wyoming’s Tetons, the Snowies certainly aren’t lacking in grandeur—or wildflowers. From late May into fall, follow the paved 29-mile Snowy Range Scenic Byway in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests to see showy blooms of Indian paintbrush, fireweed, and lupine. Just off the byway, the Lakes Trail leads past a pair of lakes and along wildflower-filled meadows backed by rugged peaks.