Where to find the Best Wildflowers in Ogden, Utah
Ogden’s wildflower season is one of the Wasatch’s best-kept secrets. As snow melts and temperatures rise, wildflowers bloom in waves in our foothills and mountains, starting at lower elevations in May and climbing higher as the season goes on. It’s a short-lived spectacle, but one well worth planning for. Here are a few of our favorite spots to catch the Wasatch in full bloom.
Know Before You Go:
Parking at trailheads can fill up quickly, especially during peak bloom days. Please note that Windsurfer Beach parking will be closed, so plan to use alternate trailheads or recreation area parking nearby.
Mountain weather can change quickly, even in late spring and summer, so bring layers, water, sunscreen, and good shoes for hiking. Help keep the trails beautiful by staying on designated paths and practicing Leave No Trace principles while enjoying the blooms.
Low Elevation:
Bonneville Shoreline Trail
You’ll hear locals call this trail “the BST” and this trail is accessible at the easternmost edge of the city. Developed trailheads can be found at Ogden Nature Center-North (1300 N. Mountain Rd.), Rainbow Gardens (at the mouth of Ogden Canyon), the tops of 22nd, 29th, and 36th Streets, and the Beus Trailhead near the top of 42nd Street.
What to look for:
- Yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot
- Purple Lupine
- White Sego Lilies
Ogden Botanical Gardens
The Ogden Botanical Gardens are beautiful throughout the year, and certainly worthy of a stroll when Utah wildflowers are in their peak blossom. Operated by Utah State University, the gardens are a crown jewel in central Ogden (1750 Monroe Blvd.) and provide abundant parking and paved pathways that are wheelchair and stroller accessible.
What to look for:
- California Poppies
- Mojave Desert Bells
- Daisies
- Coreopsis
- Alyssum
-Purple Coneflower
Mid Elevation:
Snowbasin / Art Nord / Maples / Green Pond
As valley temperatures inch higher, so do the wildflower blooms. A short drive to either Art Nord Trailhead or Snowbasin provides access to firework-like displays of Utah wildflowers on hikes or mountain bike rides from either trailhead. Keep an eye out for moose in this area, and give them plenty of space.
What to look for:
- Blue Lupine
- Indian Paintbrush
- Mountina Bluebells
- Yellow Glacier Lilies
High Elevation:
Powder Mountain and Brim Trail
Mother Nature saves her best for last. Around the time that we start to complain about the warm temperatures in town, a drive to Powder Mountain provides the necessary relief…along with the greatest abundance of wildflowers in Utah. Situated at an elevation of around 9,000 feet, the Brim Trail offers cooler temperatures and buttery-smooth trails snaking in and out of stands of quaking aspen and pines…and seemingly endless seas of every color wildflower imaginable.
What to look for:
- Lupine
- Paintbrush
- Balsamroot
- Blue Flax
- Mountain Bluebells
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