Wildflowers at Glacier National Park

I didn’t find very many wildflowers to photograph at Glacier National Park when I visiting in June. Probably had something to do with all that snow . . . However, I did lover the ones I found. Seeing (and photographing) the alpine wildflowers at Glacier National Park is on my to-do list for 2012.

Here are some of the wildflowers I photographed in Glacier National Park

Striped Coral Root Orchid – Corallorhiza striata -  a wonderful native orchid I spotted while driving to lunch one day

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Beargrass – Xerophyllum tenax – a member of the lily family . Both elk & bighorn sheep graze on the flowers

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Alpine Paintbrush – Castilleja rhexifolia – a relative of the Orange Paintbrush I photographed in 2010 in Colorado.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Pasqueflower – Anemone patens – a member of the buttercup family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Glacier National Park

What I saw of Glacier National Park was amazing!!! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see most of the park. Going to the Sun Road is the one road that goes through the center of the park – it’s about 50 miles long – and over 30 miles of it were still closed due to snow while I was visiting the park in June. While I was there, I saw some incredible photos of the snow taken on June 4 at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. If you look closely - you can barely see the roof in the photos! I’m heading back to Glacier National Park next year – in July – so hopefully the road will be open and I’ll be able to see the alpine meadows.

Even though I couldn’t visit large portions of the park – I fell in love with Glacier National Park. The views were incredible.  You’ll probably notice an awful lot of water in my photos from Glacier National Park – not only was the snow melting – but it rained almost the entire time I was there!

Avalanche Creek

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Upper Avalanche Gorge

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Lower Avalanche Gorge

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Water from melting snow pouring down a mountain side

© 2011 Patty Hankins

St. Mary Lake – note the white caps on the waves at St Mary Lake – on the one day it wasn’t raining – I was experiencing 40 mph winds.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

As you can – Glacier National Park is spectacular. I can’t wait to head back there next summer.