Wildflower in Yosemite

I'm going to Yosemite this weekend, and, apart from the cliche type of Half Dome images, I'd also like to look for wildflowers.

 

<p>

 

Since my schedule is rather tight, I cannot visit many places. What are the best locations to find the flowers at this time?

 

<p>

 

Thanks for any input.

<P>Apparently the June 1996 issue of <I>California Photographer</I> as an article on this exact subject. I have never seen this magazine nor this issue, but since you appear to be affiliated with a large university, perhaps your institution's library will have a copy of this.

 

<P>A decent travel guide of Yosemite might have this information as well. There are at least two books on this subject listed at: http://www1.shore.net/~ikrakow/travel-yosemite.html

 

<P>I found all this information by using the AltaVista search engine: http://altavista.digital.com (search criteria: "wildflowers" +Yosemite). Frankly, I'd just go to the local university's library and go to the section on Yosemite. Libraries, based on the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress systems, are much more organized than the Internet. Libraries should not be ignored as a resource for rapid research.

 

<P>In any case, try Cooke's Meadow and Crane Flat. Good luck and have fun!

Yi,

 

<p>

 

I was in King's Canyon NP two weeks ago (a bit south of Yosemite) and my advice would be to get up, up, up. There were some wildflowers (indian paintbrush, etc) at lower elevations like 7-8,000 feet but the real displays were higher up; from 9-10,000 feet was where the real masses of floral splendor were found. Lots of beautiful orange lillies, western columbine, and many other kinds of flowers (I noted about 30 different kinds on this trip, only a few of which I can name). Look for marshy creekside areas where there's still water flowing through.

 

<p>

 

Since it sounds like you don't want to get into the backcountry try some of the high country around Tioga pass, perhaps?

 

<p>

 

Try asking a park ranger too. Most of the ones I've spoken with are quite knowledgeable.

 

<p>

 

-Matt

<P>I do agree with Matt that Kings Canyon is as beautiful (if not more so) than Yosemite and is far less crowded than the latter. The former, of course, has been less photographed than the latter.

If you go to Kings Canyon bring lots of repellent and wear loose clothing that covers you up. A couple of my friends went there a couple of weeks ago and came back with mosquito bites that looked scarily like scars.

In my earlier post I was trying to point out (by analogy) where the flowers would be in Yosemite. . . high up this time of year is a good bet! And much of the easily accessable part at these elevations are away from the valley and along the road to Tioga pass.

 

<p>

 

-Matt

I just discovered this post, alas, a month too late for our friend who was looking for wildflowers in Yosemite. The article I wrote for "California Photographer" (a newsletter, not a magazine) appeared in the July 1996 issue. I'm more than happy to reproduce it here for those of you who may be visiting Yosemite NEXT July . . . Here's the complete text of the article:

 

<p>

 

For photographing wildflowers this July in Yosemite, there are a few particularly spectacular sites that you shouldn't miss. You'll find a number of sites along Tioga Road, some places on Glacier Point road, the area around Crane Flat and in Summit Meadow. You can drive to all of these spots, get out and shoot. Here's what you'll find.

 

<p>

 

Along Tioga Road: Check out the area around Yosemite Creek (where Tioga Road crosses) for displays of blue penstemon, beautiful little blue-violet flowers. Continuing on Tioga Road, west of Yosemite Creek, near Smoky Jack Campground, you'll find lots of pink monkeyflowers, with colors ranging from red to pink to slightly yellow.

 

<p>

 

Continuing on toward Lukens Lake, you'll find lungworts to photograph (lungwort is kind of a disgusting name -- you can call them by their more user-friendly name: mountain bluebells). You'll find them north of the road as you walk toward the lake.

 

<p>

 

Washington lilies (looking a little like mini Easter lilies) grow all over the place around Crane Flat in July, so you may wish to explore this area. (They also grow off Wawona Road, near the intersection of Glacier Point Road.)

 

<p>

 

Glacier Point Road: Take a drive up Glacier Point Road where, just beyond the intersection with Wawona Road, you can photograph the tall, dramatic-looking yellow California coneflowers. Monkeyflowers and cornlilies also grow in this vicinity.

 

<p>

 

Continue up Glacier Point Road to Badger Pass Meadows to photograph cornlilies. Then, just beyond the Badger Pass Ski Area you'll come to Summit Meadow -- THE place to find all sorts of flowers in bloom right now, especially shooting stars, with their pink, winglike petals swooping backward and the reddish-purple flowers of fireweed.