Wildflower Watch 2014 Begins!

(I-TravelNewswire.Com, June 10, 2014 ) Mt. Rainier, Wash. – As the excitement of the Copper River salmon run wanes, it’s time to get excited about another season … Wildflowers! The Mt. Rainier area was voted “Best Wildflower Spot in The United States” and VisitRainier.com is making it as easy as possible for folks to enjoy them, by offering a wildflower identification guide, wildflower reports and a photo sharing contest. In addition Visit Rainier will be tweeting (#wildflowerwatch), Facebooking and blogging with updates on what’s blooming and where.

“Wildflower season usually starts mid-July as the snow melt disappears,” said Mary Kay Nelson, Executive Director of Visit Rainier. “Part of what makes wildflower season so exciting is different flowers bloom at different elevations around the mountain at different times. Because of the high elevation and the resulting short growing season, wildflowers are on the fast track, quickly emerging from the ground, blooming and then go to seed, all in just a few short weeks. A person could make several trips throughout the season from July till snow falls again October and see something new every time.”

To maximize visitor’s experience the Wildflower and Wildlife section on Visit Rainier’s website provides links to wildflower status reports, telling folks what is blooming and where; it provides a list of the Top 10 wildflower hikes around the mountain; it offers an online wildflower identification guide, and it links to 12 webcams around the mountain. Links are here:

Wildflower overview and status reports:

http://www.visitrainier.com/pg/wildflowersWildlife/Wildflowers-and-Wildlife-in-the-Mt-Rainier-National-Park-Area

Top 10 Hikes:

http://www.visitrainier.com/pg/10_top_wildflower_hikes/The-Top-10-Wildflower-Hikes-Around-Mt-Rainier

Mt. Rainier Wildflower Identification Guide:

http://www.visitrainier.com/pg/rainier_wildflower_guide/Mt-Rainier-Area-Wildflower-Guide

“This year we are offering wildflower seeds and window clings to wildflower enthusiasts willing to share their photos with Visit Rainier,” said Nelson. “We will select a first and second place winner from the entries submitted, awarding $200 gift card for first place, and $50 for second.”

While many think of mesmerizing images on trails such as the Skyline Trail at Paradise or Summerland on the route to Sunrise, there are also several spots folks can experience acres of wildflowers without even having to leave the car. The meadows around Tipsoo Lake at the top of Chinook Pass are easy to view from the road, as are the meadows surrounding the Sunrise and Paradise areas on Mt. Rainier. Crystal Mountain Resort's Mt. Rainier gondola can whisk visitors up to 6,872 feet and put them in the heart of wildflower meadows. Any of these sites are a good option for folks of all ages, and physical abilities.

For more information on all there is to see and do at Mt. Rainier and its surrounding communities visit www.visitrainier.com.

Visit Rainier is a not-for-profit, non-membership destination marketing organization that promotes tourism in the gateway communities around Mt. Rainier.

Adventure Media

Nancy Harrison

970.568.7423

nharrison@adventuremedianews.com

Source: EmailWire.Com