The Rock Creek drainage viewed upstream towards Barnhardi Basin and Warner Peak (with snow patches) from atop a small hill above the south side of Hot Springs Campground, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge........June 9, 2016.
Directions: From the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge headquarters drive south on the gravelled road several miles to a signed y-junction, taking the right fork for Hot Springs Campground. Continue another mile or so, eventually descending into the campground. The first junction has an access road to the lower campground along Rock Creek plus access to the hot springs building. Continuing left from the first junction provides access to several campsites along a second road that heads south for about one-quarter mile along wooded Bond Creek, while continuing straight provides access to several campsites along both sides of the upper part of Rock Creek in the campground. Campsites are generally primitive with fire rings (bring your own wood), while only a few sites may have picnic tables. Three vault toilets are scattered around the campground. Potable water is not available at the campground, so either bring your own or obtain it at a signed faucet along one of the shop buildings at the refuge headquarters. The water in the hot springs is slightly below body temperature. There are several routes for hiking along jeep trails or cross country from the campground, although these are not signed.
Note: Mosquitoes and no see-ums can be numerous from mid-June to late July and ticks are often present. Rattlesnakes are occasionally present as well. The campground is patrolled several times a day by park staff or campground hosts.
Weather: Temperatures during this visit ranged from highs in the 50s to low 70s with lows from freezing to the low 50s. A breeze generally came up every afternoon while winds died down overnight.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis
Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides
Coyote Willow: Salix exigua
* Douglas' Sedge: Carex douglasii
* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii
Meadow Foxtail: Alopecurus pratensis
* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum
* Needle and Thread Grass: Heterostipa comata
Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha - In bud.
* Great Basin Wild Rye: Leymus cinereus - Beginning to bloom.
* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa
Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica ssp. dioica
* Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum
Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum
California False-hellebore: Veratrum californicum var. californicum
* Western Blue Flag: Iris missouriensis
* Western Blue-eyed Grass: Sisyrinchium idahoense var. occidentale
* Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides
* Goose Lake Wild Buckheat: Eriogonum strictum var. anserinum
* Modoc Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. modocense
Prostrate Knotweed: Polygonum aviculare
* Curly Dock: Rumex crispus
* Large-flowered Swamp Buttercup: Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. platyphyllus
Hornseed Buttercup: Ranunculus testiculatus - Going to seed.
* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus
* Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - Fading out of bloom.
* American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras
Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera (sparsiflora ?)
Golden Currant: Ribes aureum
Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius (var. intermontanus ?)
* Rydberg's Largeleaf Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum
* Graceful Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata
* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Fading out of bloom.
* Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana - Fading out of bloom.
* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
* Western Blue Flax: Linum lewisii var. lewisii
* Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana var. spicata
* Long-leaved Evening-primrose: Taraxia subacaulis
* Tansy-leaved Evening-primrose: Taraxia tanacetifolia
* Prickly Phlox: Linanthus pungens
* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpina
* Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale
* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale
* Yellow and Blue Scorpionweed: Myosotis discolor
* Slender-branch Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys leptocladus
* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum
* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus
* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Beginning to bloom.
* Twin Arnica: Arnica sororia
Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata
Hoary False Yarrow: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii
Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense
* Elk Thistle: Cirsium scariosum var. americanum
Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare
* Shaggy Fleabane: Erigeron pumilus var. intermedius
* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis
* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
* Lanceleaf Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma lanceolata - Alkaline flats along Bond and Rock Creeks due south of the hot springs building.
* Sweet Marsh Butterweed: Senecio hydrophiloides
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus
* Stemless Goldenweed: Stenotus acaulis
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale
Salsify: Tragopogon dubius
Belding Ground Squirrels
Chipmunk
Mule Deer
Harrier
Kestrels
Red-tailed Hawks
Turkey Vultures
Northern Flickers
Flycatchers (ID undetermined)
Nighthawks
Poor Wills
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Black-headed Grosbeaks
American Robin
Western Tanagers
Brewer's Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds
Western Meadowlarks
Green-tailed Towhees
Scrub Jay
Ravens
Purple Finches
Warbling Vireos
Pine Siskin ?
House Wrens
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallows
Yellow Warbler
Bushtits
Hummingbird (Black-chinned female ?)
Cicada
Blue
Monarch
Pale Ochres
Western Swallowtails