Most Beautiful Places to See Wildflowers in the United States
The USA’s diversity of climates and terrains come together each spring and summer to create a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers worth every mile it takes to seek them out. From bright orange desert poppies in California to three foot tall purple lupines in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, there are spots all over the country to catch some floral magic. Here are 10 of the best.
1. Bluebonnets – Washington County, Texas
Bluebonnets seem to love Texas as much as Texans love them. The blue flowers can be seen all over the state, but the best place to find them in abundance is Washington County. An 80-mile long trail combines scenic highways and pastures filled with bluebonnets and other wildflowers. One of the best stops on the trail is the town of Brenham. Blooms line the roads and blanket fields during the springtime.
Visiting at peak bloom is easy thanks to Visitbrenhamtexas.com’s Wildflower Watch blog, which frequently updates travelers with the current blooming status.
2. Tulips – Holland, Michigan
In early May, as many as 5 million brightly colored tulips bloom all around the city of Holland, Michigan. The city celebrates with one of the largest flower festivals in the country, Tulip Time, to honor its Dutch Heritage alongside the blooms. One of the best spots for photographs is Windmill Island Gardens, featuring an authentic windmill that was imported from the Netherlands in 1964.
Although Holland may be a small town, it knows how to put on a show. Tulip Time has
If you plan to visit, make hotel accommodations far in advance. A half a
3. California Poppies – Lancaster, California
When spring arrives at the western tip of the Mojave Desert in California, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve becomes an ocean of vibrant orange poppies. Eight miles of trails weave through the brightly colored fields for visitors to enjoy.
Each year the color and vibrancy of the poppies is different, giving it a one of a kind look no matter how many times you visit. Wildflower season lasts from mid-February through the end of May, although peak bloom is usually in April.
4. Wildflowers (mixed) – Crested Butte, Colorado
Red Indian paintbrushes, blue columbines, bright yellow sunflowers, and deeply hued purple delphiniums are just a few of the blooms to be found in Crested Butte, the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Flowers can be seen from June-August by hiking any of the trails in the Gunnison National Forest. For a complete trail guide, check out Travel Crested Butte.
In July the city of Crested Butte holds a Wildflower Festival to coincide with peak bloom. Guided hikes, workshops and photography tours are just a few of the
5. Cherry Blossoms – Washington, D.C
Even though they aren’t wildflowers, this list seems incomplete without mention of one of the nation’s favorite spring blooms. Over 3,000 Japanese Cherry trees adorn the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park in Washington D.C. The trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912, and are celebrated every year during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Trees bloom anywhere from mid-March to Mid-April, so be prepared to be flexible with travel plans. Keep a close watch on the National Park Service’s Bloom Watch to monitor the progression.
6. Azaleas – Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina/Tennessee
More than 1,500 varieties of wildflowers call the Great Smoky Mountains home, more than any National Park in North America. Nicknamed Wildflower National Park, it’s easy to see why visitors flock from all over the world to experience the beauty of the mountains.
Depending on elevation, flowers can be seen throughout spring and summer. Lady Slipper Orchids, trillium, irises and violets are some of the first to signal that spring is on the way. Black-eyed Susans and lilies love the warmer temps as do the azaleas, which start blooming in June.
The first spring flowers hit peek bloom in late April. During this time the park hosts a yearly wildflower pilgrimage. Spots are
7. Wildflowers (mixed) – Fort Pierre National Grassland, South Dakota
Native prairie flowers pop up all over the 116,000-acre grasslands in central South Dakota during springtime. Purple coneflower, bluebell, and Eastern red columbine dot the Great Plains with vibrant color.
The flatness of the land also allows the opportunity to see some local wildlife, such as burrowing owls, jackrabbits and prairie dogs.
Auto traffic is limited in the grasslands, so bring your hiking boots to find the best views. The extra effort it takes to see these native flowers makes it all the more special. For directions and maps, visit the USDA Forest Service.
8. Lupines – Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Mid-June in the White Mountains of New Hampshire isn’t white at all. It’s purple. It’s the time of year the lupines bloom and blanket the valley. Some will be pink or white, but the majority of these flowers are a varying shade of purple. The stalks grow up to 3 feet tall and bloom for several weeks.
Sugar Hill hosts an annual Lupine Festival in June, the perfect time to catch the flowers in all their glory.
9. Wildflowers (mixed) – Mt. Rainer, Washington State
Wildflower-filled meadows of Mt. Rainer are the highlight of the park each summer. The best place to find them is Paradise Meadow, home of the popular Skyline Trail. This paved trail takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery on the mountain.
Weather on Mt. Rainer is extremely unpredictable, so getting there at peak bloom takes a little extra work. It usually happens mid-July- early August, although sometimes the flowers decide mid-August is the ideal time to bloom.
Time it just right, and you will be rewarded with buttery yellow cinquefoils, bellflowers, and snow-white lilies throughout the meadow.
10. Wildflowers (mixed) – Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California
From February through April, something unexpected happens in the Anza Borrego desert… it blooms. Spend an afternoon walking some of the 110 miles of trails in the park, and you will find colorful patches of yellow sun caps, snow white poppies, purple arrow weed and much more.
Conditions must be just right for the flowers to bloom in a desert landscape but when they do the contrast between the delicate flowers and rough terrain is remarkable. Before you visit, call the Wildflower Hotline at 706-767-4684 to see what’s blooming.
Love this post! As I love flowers and traveling! Can’t wait to hit up some of these spots 🙂
I loved this post. So interesting!
I live near Washington D.C. and the Cherry Blossoms are also so beautiful! I would add sunflowers in Maryland there are plenty here and they’re gorgeous 🙂
Now I feel like visiting the other places haha thank you for sharing.
I love the tulips in Michigan. I used to live in Colorado and spring hikes were the best for wildflowers too. Makes me miss living there! Beautiful pictures!
So pretty! I’d love to be able to visit all of these places!
I tend to automatically want to travel abroad, but this was a great reminder how much beauty is in my home country!
I have seen the wildflower mix on Mt Rainer. It’s gorgeous. I love this list. Bluebonnets in Texas are always gorgeous. People go to great lengths to get family photos in them on the side of the highway which is where they love to grow.
The California poppies are just gorgeous. I liked to see the tulips in Holland MI too!
Cherry blossoms are my favorite along with prairie flowers. This is a great read for those seeking a different approach to picking a travel destination.
Love this post! The flowers so beautiful! I have been to Holland MI before, but unfortunate it was not during tulip season. I will have to plan another trip!
So many beautiful places to see flowers! I’ve been to Holland, Michigan and it was an amazing experience!!
Kileen
cute & little
I’d love to go to all of these places. I love looking at flowers. We’re actually going to a tulip farm in about two weeks, and I can’t wait!
So beautiful. Nature at its best. Wildflowers seem to offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast.
I agree, they can be a tricky thing to photograph but 100% worth it!
This is such a gorgeous post! I love all of the destinations you’ve listed here! Also, so glad I came across your blog!
Ahhh beautiful!! I’m heading to Texas next month and will just miss the bluebonnets. Maybe next year!
I have explored a lot of places in the US but I have to admit I didn’t know about a lot of these. Your pictures look absolutely amazing too! Even though I wouldn’t think of visiting any “wildflowers destinations” before, I loved this article and would definitely love to check out some of these places in the future.
Bravo! As a photo snob, I don’t like photo cliches: cats, flowers, and sunsets. But you have captured some fantastic looking areas. I would love to go and photograph flowers there.
What a incredible list supplemented by some really breathtaking pictures! I absolutely agree with you about the cherry blossoms in DC, although the quad at the University of Washington in Seattle is another option! Coming from Seattle, it was also exciting to see Mt. Rainier make the list. If I could see any of them, I’d love to go down to Texas to see the bluebonnets. They just look so beautiful and unique to me 🙂
i find wild flowers more enchanting than common garden ones. We have a few on our backyard too 🙂
I rarely read something like this, and it is very refreshing. I didn’t know that all I have seen and read on this post are all wild flowers cause they all look like being nurtured by human hand. But, you know, nature has its own way of nurturing its own kind, just like these wild flowers. I love the Lupines a lot, I wish to see it with my naked eyes soon.
Oh my, all these are so gorgeous. It would be great to visit places like this it can freshen up your mind and soul.
Wow, these flowers are really beautiful. Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures.
I love wildflowers and your guide is just great! Where I live in the UK I live near woodlands where there are lots of wild bluebells. I love just walking through the flowers.
Such beautiful photos! This is completely and utterly spectacular!
I would love to travel here so much. Thanks for sharing
Oh wow! I’m not sure I could ever leave these places. it is absolutely one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever seen.
I love cherry blossom and that’s why Japan is my travel bucket list since such a long time. Never knew I could see this in Washington as well. Super excited for next season of blossom. Thanks for the wonderful info.
I would love to see the cherry blossoms in Japan someday as well! I’m sure they are magnificent.
I can’t wait to go to all these places and takes all the insta worth photos 😛 Thanks for putting together list, going to save it.
Wao! All the wildflowers look so amazing and refreshing especially the tullips. I also want to visit Washington DC to checkout the beautiful Cherry blossoms.
I visited the land of the poppies earlier this month and it was amazing! Im excited to try and get to some of these other places as well
I haven’t seen bluebonnets since I went to Callaway Gardens. I forgot just how beautiful they are. I’d love to go everywhere to see them all but especially the bluebonnets.
What a great selection of wild flowers. Wish I lived near you and could come on the flower hunt. Just love the colours on them too
I was really hoping to see Arizona on this list somewhere, even tho we are literally in the dessert haha. Great list overall!
I dream of visiting a field full of wild flowers like this. It would be so beautiful.
I absolutely love flowers.This weekend we are planning to visit washington D.C.New Hampshire is also in my bucket list.Thanks for sharing thid
This is a really useful collection of places. I do love walking in nature and admiring wild flowers. Here in the UK it’s the bluebells season that covers entire forests with a purple carpet.
Lovely post! How amazing would it be to go on a wildflower tour!
I love the California Poppies and the mixed wildflowers! <3 So pretty!
Omg what did i just see . These are absolutely gorgeous and looks lovely. T Hanks for mentioning the places and the locations to see these,
Thank you for this list. bookmarking for my mother
The blue bonnets in Texas are all over my Facebook feed right now and I’m in love. I just used your list to make my own list for flowers I need to plant in my new garden soon so thank you!
Those flowers are really beautiful but I like the cherry blossom more.
Ahhhh I love this post! The photos are beyond gorgeous. I’d also add Dog Mountain near Portland, OR to the list – the wildflowers simply explode onto the scene in mid-spring!
i live in Ca and we have had tons of poppies and lupines this year. so beautiful!
These are amazing fields of flowers. I have taken so many pictures of flowers I created ended up creating a gallery on my site. It would be fun to get out there with a camera.
These wildflowers are so beautiful. I would love to go photograph all these flowers myself!
I had heard of the cherry blossoms in DC, but not a lot of these other wildfires. i live in California and think a road trip is order to see some of these.
When in the USA I’ll like to make a visit to the Mojave Desert. So beautiful! ?
I should definitely send this list to my mother in law who is obsessed with all things plants!
So many beautiful flowers! I love the bluebonnets, they look so pretty!
I am swooning!! Although, I live in DC and the cherry blossoms are sometimes a nightmare to see with all the crowds. haha!
I LOVE this list! We used to go to the flower fields in Carlsbad, CA every year while living in Cali and I miss it so.
These flowers are beautiful! I absolutely love cherry blossoms! I miss living in DC where I could hop in the car to see the cherry blossoms.
I absolutely adore wildflowers. They’re so beautiful
But every photo here is gorgeous 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing
Debs
This is AWESOME! I absolutely love wildflower season and love knowing where the best spots are around the country. I love in Arizona and we have some pretty incredible spots to take in the wildflowers this time of year. It’s magical!
I had no idea the many different flowers our country has throughout this great nation. That is amazing! I have seen the cherry blossoms when I used to visit D.C. and I fell in love with them. They are just so magical to me. And absolutely breath taking!
Oh wow those blue bonnets are beautiful!
Wow wildflowers are something I really love about Spring time and cherry blossoms are definetely my favorite x
These are really beautiful places I wish I could make ONE day trip out of this and see them all. I just need a personal jet. Great post!
Oh, my such a pretty post and I love that there is a Holland, Michigan! I love tulips and going to the Netherlands to see them is on my bucket list!
These are all so gorgeous, and I want to see them all!
Thank you so much for sharing! Definitely bookmarking this for the next roundtrip!
Aw! I loved this post! This makes me think of my late Grandmother. She had the greenest thumb of anyone I know and absolutely LOVED flowers. She was well-known for her gardening and her yard was full of all sorts of flowers. My Aunt, her daughter, also has a love of flowers. They would often go on trips specifically to see flowers and gardens. She would have loved these ideas. Thanks for sharing!