Yosemite Photos, Video and News

After three years of drought, the wildflowers of Yosemite National Park are responding enthusiastically to the abundance of moisture left over from a wet, late spring. As the very last of the snowbanks melt in the shadows of the red fir forests, riches of wildflowers are bursting forth. Throughout the park, vibrant fields of flowers are covering the meadows and open slopes between 7000 and 10000 ft. with Colorado-like abundance.

Pure stands of sierra shooting stars and crimson columbine are dominating the wet meadows. While lupines, mariposa lilies, groundsels, larkspurs, daisies, western wallflowers and Indian paintbrush can be found on the dry slopes interspersed among the red firs and lodgepole pines of the montane belt.

The multicolored Lewis's monkeyflower and the white blooms of western Labrador tea or western azaleas are thriving along the stream sides. Spreading beds of penstemon are prolifically budding along the glaciated granite benches leading up to the subalpine zone. Scarlet blooms of red heather surround the lakes above 9000 ft. and the dramatic columbine can be found growing from the crevasses of the rocky cliffs.

Almost any trailhead in the montane zone will lead to a spectacular display of wildflowers now. Be sure to take insect repellant or a head net as the mosquitoes are swarming.