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Small brook, lush vegetation, spectacular blooms of wildflowers in summer months


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Map Key

0.4

Miles

0.6

KM

Lollipop

6,427' 1,959 m

High

6,393' 1,948 m

Low

37' 11 m

Up

35' 11 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

5%

Max Grade (3°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly This is a nice, easy loop with the opportunity to teach youngsters a thing or two about wildflowers!

You can expect the trail to be snow-covered from October to early July, however, conditions vary somewhat from year to year. See Crater Lake Current Conditions for more information.

Description

Summer wildflower viewing in the wet meadow is the main goal here. This short, relatively flat loop trail traverses through extremely varied landscapes. It travels through a forest, a dry slope, by a stream, and, the main attraction, a spring-fed meadow filled with wildflowers. During the summer months, a profusion of wildflowers lines the pathway. Bring your wildflower identification book. Trail guides (A Trail Guide to Castle Crest by the Natural History Association of Crater Lake NP) are available at the trailhead for $0.75 or for free if returned when you are finished with the trail.

In summer, a multitude of flowering plants, suited to moist soils and plenty of sunlight, flourish in the meadow. While lingering snowbanks melt, tiny violets and buttercups bloom, shooting stars unfurl pink darts, and bistorts display white florets. Verdant mosses claim the wet meadow center. Different species come into bloom throughout the season to change the meadows complexion.

In average winters, 50 feet of snow falls on Castle Crests slopes. Seeds, roots, and runners of a host of plants lie dormant beneath the snowpack. As spring arrives in June, new shoots push upward and willow branches sprout fresh leaves.

Through plant succession the meadow community is constantly changing as plants compete for sunlight and compete for sunlight and water. Willows encroach upon the meadow herbs. Red fir-mountain hemlock forest gradually replaces the willows. The forest can regenerate itself indefinitely under present climatic conditions. For now, Castle Crest Spring continues to bathe the roots of the pink monkeyflowers and other colorful mountain wildflowers.

Flora & Fauna

The surrounding forest is dominated by red fir and mountain hemlock. A smaller component of subalpine fir and short-needled lodgepole pine can also be found. This creates a dense canopy of heavy shade.

Look for these wildflowers: Gorman buttercup (Ranunculus gormanii), Shooting stars (Dodecatheon alpinum), American Bistort (Polygonum bistortoides), Pacific red elder (Sambucuc racemosa var. microbotrys), Scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), Eastwood willow (Salix eastwoodiae), Columbia monkshood (Aconitum columbainum), Pacific bleedingheart (Dicentra formosa), Arrowleaf groundsel (Senecio triangularis), Mountain Violet (Viola purpurea, var. venosa), Blue stickseed (Hackelia micrantaha), Lewis monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii), Common pearl-everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

Contacts

Shared By:

Brian Smith

Trail Ratings

  4.6 from 9 votes

#6952

Overall
  4.6 from 9 votes
5 Star
56%
4 Star
44%
3 Star
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Trail Rankings

#178

in Oregon

#6,952

Overall
3 Views Last Month
655 Since Feb 11, 2016
Easy Easy

86%
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0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
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Check-Ins

Jul 9, 2024
Rosie Betenbaugh
2h 45m
Oct 4, 2023
Jodi K
This really is the last hike of the day! More forest!! 0.5mi — 3h 15m
Jul 25, 2023
Shannon Watry
Lovely wildflowers and stream
Jul 14, 2023
Dale Hilgendorf
Jul 24, 2022
Jordan Soyka
Jul 21, 2021
Tom Herr
Quiet walk through a field of flowers with stream running through. The pink monkey flowers were blooming and breathtaking. Loved it! 1mi
Jul 7, 2021
Stephanie Cairney
Jul 23, 2020
Stephen Pack
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