Wildflowers in Bloom At Cispus Point

Access to our trailhead was via Forest Road (FR) 20 from US 12 just west of Packwood, WA. This a gravel road that suffers at times from bumps and slumps and potholes. There aren't many side roads, so stay on the road for about 12.5 miles to the trailhead, which is in a clearcut about 0.4 miles west of the signed trailhead of a spur leading to the Klickitat Trail #7 on the south side of the road. Jackpot Lake is just west of this sign, but its sign may be difficult to see.

The trail climbs steadily through the clearcut, trending south to southwest before reaching a junction with the Klickitat Trail #7 in about one-quarter mile. Turn right or northwest onto the Klickitat Trail #7, which heads into conifer forest with a few logs across the trail in spots (easily negotiated). In about one-quarter mile, the trail enters a clearing on a slope and crosses a boulder field filled with wildflowers. Cross this and begin the even steeper climb through slopes of tall bluebells, arrowleaf groundsel, goatsbeard, thimbleberry, columbine and others. Generally the trail is in good shape although it is often covered by wildflowers to 2-3 feet high, and it occasionally becomes a rut that might be difficult for some to walk in. Loose gravel may present a problem for some on the return, so it is wise to have your poles with you. After about a mile, the trail reaches the top of the ridge and it winds through fields of arctic lupine and magenta paintbrush, finally reaching a junction with the Cispus Lookout Trail #127 at a meadow. The north end of the meadow has a small, shallow pool filled with burr-reed and lined with Kellogg's sedge.

Head south along the Cispus Lookout Trail, climbing not too steeply through a mix of conifer forest and wildflower clearings. You will pass what probably are the remains of the lookout's cabin in the woods on the edge of the ridge and then quickly pass into more extensive wildflower meadows after about one-quarter mile from the trail junction. Look uphill to the southwest to see the rock outcrop of Cispus Pt. The trail climbs through the flower meadows, wrapping around the south side of the point before climbing more steeply and switchbacking upwards. The final 200 meters has short spurs to viewpoints atop 100' cliffs, but generally anyone except the most heights 'challenged' hikers should be fine. Views from the summit where there used to be a lookout are great, with views to the north towards Mt. Rainier, the Goat Rocks to the northeast, the upper Cispus River drainage and Mt. Adams to the southeast, Mt. Hood to the south, and the Dark Divide and Mt. St. Helens to the southwest.

Ragged Lichen: Platismatia glauca

Map Lichen: Rhizocarpum (geographicum ?)

Common Liverwort: Marchantia polymorpha

Common Lady Fern: Athyrium filix-femina

American Rockbrake: Cryptogramma acrostichoides

Imbricate Swordfern: Polystichum imbricans

Western Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa

Noble Fir: Abies procera

Slide Alder: Alnus viridis

Alaska Cedar: Chamaecyparis nookatensis

Common Juniper: Juniperus communis

Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa - At the trailhead.

Mountain Hemlock: Tsuga mertensiana

* Merten's Rush: Juncus mertensianus

* Parry's Rush: Juncus parryi

* Small-flowered Woodrush: Luzula parviflora

* Piper's Woodrush: Luzula piperi - Slopes around Cispus Pt.

* Kellogg's Sedge: Carex lenticularis var. lipocarpa

* Merten's Sedge: Carex mertensii - At trailhead.

* Black Apine Sedge: Carex nigricans

* Showy Sedge: Carex spectabilis

* California Brome: Bromus carinatus var. carinatus

* Slender Woodreed: Cinna latifolia

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides - Beginning to bloom atop Cispus Pt.

* Blue Wildrye: Elymus glaucus

* Alpine Timothy: Phleum alpinum

* Small Bur-reed: Sparganium natans

* Avalanche Lily: Erythronium montanum - One fading out of bloom at the junction of Trail 7 and Trail 127.

* Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum - Still in bloom around the summit of Cispus Pt.

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - Past bloom.

Rosy Twistedstalk: Streptopus lanceolatus - Fruits ripening.

Western Wakerobin: Trillium ovatum

Green False Hellebore: Veratrum (viride var. eschscholtzii?) - In bud.

* Bear Grass: Xerophyllum tenax - Fading out of bloom at the summit.

* Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia

* Heartleaf Twayblade: Listera cordata - Fading out of bloom.

* American Bistort: Bistorta bistortoides

* Northern Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

* Naked Buckwheat: Eriogonum nudum

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia siberica

* Littleleaf Montia: Montia parvifolia

Mountain Sandwort: Eremogone capillaris var. americana - Past bloom.

Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Parry's Campion: Silene parryi - At the summit of Cispus Pt.

* Red Sandspurry: Spergularia rubra - At the trailhead.

Baneberry: Actaea rubra

Western Pasqueflower: Anemone occidentalis - Nice seed heads forming!

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formorsa

Marsh Marigold: Caltha leptosepala (former ssp. biflora) - Past bloom.

* Menzie's Larkspur: Delphinium menziesii ssp. menzisii

False Bugbane: Trautvetteria caroliniensis

Small-flowered Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora - Atop the summit of Cispus Pt. Fruits forming.

Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum ? - Past bloom atop Cispus Pt.

* Western Yellow Cress: Rorippa curvisiliqua - At the trailhead.

* Spreading Stonecrop: Sedum divergens - Beginning to bloom.

Oregon Stonecrop: Sedum oreganum - In bud.

* Rusty Saxifrage: Micranthes ferruginea

Brewer's Mitrewort: Mitella breweri

* Yellow-dot Saxifrage: Saxifraga bronchialis ssp. austromontana - Fading out of bloom at the summit of Cispus Pt.

* Fringecups: Tellima grandiflora - Fading out of bloom.

* Foamflower: Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata

Maple-leaf Currant: Ribes acerifolium

* Stink Currant: Ribes bracteosum

Spring Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - Spiny fruits forming.

* Sylvan Goatsbeard: Aruncus dioicus var. acuminatus

Broad-petal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - Berries ripening.

* Partridge Foot: Luetkea pectinata

* Fan-leaf Cinquefoil: Potentilla flabellifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus - Fading out of bloom.

* Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

Strawberry Leaf Bramble: Rubus pedatus

Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilis - Berries ripening.

Sitka Mountain Ash: Sorbus sitchensis var. grayi - Fruits ripening.

* Rose Meadowsweet: Spiraea splendens (var. ?)

* Arctic Lupine: Lupinus arcticus

* White Clover: Trifolium repens - At the trailhead.

Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

Darkwoods Violet: Viola orbiculata

* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium - Beginning to bloom.

* Smooth Willowherb: Epilobium glaberrimum ssp. fastigiatum

* Willowherb: Epilobiumsp.

* Sharptooth Angelica: Angelica arguta

* Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum

* Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi

Cascade Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei - Past bloom.

Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Mountain Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

* Fool's Huckleberry: Menziesia ferruginea

* Side-bells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda

* Pink Mountain Heather: Phyllodoce empetriformis - Fading out of bloom.

* Cascade Azalea: Rhododendron albiflorum

Cascade Blueberry: Vaccinium deliciosum ? - Berries ripening.

Thin-leaved Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum - Berries ripening.

Oval-leaf Huckleberry: Vaccimium ovalifolium - Berries ripening.

Grouse Wortleberry: Vaccinium scoparium - Berries ripening.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa (var. longistylis ?) - Past bloom.

* Fendler's Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum fendleri var. albifrons - Fading out of bloom.

* Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata (var. leptosepala ?)

* Tall Bluebells: Mertensia paniculata var. borealis - Fading out of bloom.

* Scarlet Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata

* Magenta Paintbrush: Castilleja parviflora var. oreopola

* Turtleheads: Nothochelone nemorosa

* Bracted Lousewort: Pedicularis bracteosa var. latifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Sickletop Lousewort: Pedicularis racemosa

* Rock Penstemon: Penstemon rupicola - Fading out of bloom atop Cispus Pt.

* Cascade Penstemon: Penstemon serrulatus

* Cusick's Speedwell: Veronica cusickii - Fading out of bloom in wet meadows at the base of Cispus Pt.

Broadleaf Plantain: Plantago major

* Oregon Bedstraw: Galium oreganum

* Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

Red Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa

Creeping Snowberry: Symphoricarpos mollis ?

* Northern Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis

* Roundleaf Bluebell: Campanula rotundifolia

* Scouler's Harebell: Campanula scouleri

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca - Fading out of bloom.

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Field Pussytoes: Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica

* Hooker's Pussytoes: Antennaria racemosa - Fading out of bloom atop Cispus Pt.

* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea

* Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia

* Hairy Arnica: Arnica mollis

* Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi, or Rayless Arnica: Arnica disoidea ?

* Short-styled Thistle: Cirsium brevistylum

* Cutleaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus - Fading out of bloom around the summit of Cispus Pt.

* Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lantum

* Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus - Beginning to bloom.

Marsh Cudweed: Gnaphalium uliginosum - At trailhead.

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum - Fading out of bloom.

* Slender Hawkweed: Hieracium triste

* Oxeye Daisy: Leucanthemum vulgare - At trailhead.

* Silverback Luina: Luina hypoleuca

Pineappleweed: Matricaria discoidea - At trailhead.

* Alpine Lake Prairie-dandelion: Nothocalais alpestris

* Tongue-leaf Luina: Rainiera stricta

* American Sawwort: Saussurea americana

* Arrow-leaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Chipmunk

Gray Jays

Hermit Thrushes

Dark-eyed Juncos

Pine Siskins

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Rufous Hummingbirds

Pale Swallowtails

Western Tiger Swallowtails

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