Western hawksbeard is a perennial wildflower with 1-3 erect to ascending stems arising 5-40 cm from a taproot. The herbage is densely and closely gray-tomentulose, becoming greener and less hairy with age. The herbage above may also consist of stiff, long glandular hairs. The lower leaves range from 10-35 cm long, often with deeply cleft or pinnatifid segments which may point slightly back towards the base of the leaf (See the photo of the leaf below.).

The 2-25 flower heads are found at the tips fo the stems. Each dandylion-like flower head contains 10-40 yellow flowers. The involucre measures 11-19 mm high with 8-13 inner bracts and outer bracts that are less than half as long as the inner. The bracts often contain some long black bristles which are tipped with small glands (See photo below.).

Western hawksbeard is a plant of dry, open places in the foothills and plains.

Western hawksbeard may be found from southern British Columbia south along the east side of the Cascade Mts. to southern California and east to southern Alberta, South Dakota, and northern New Mexico.

In the Columbia River Gorge, Crepis occidentalis may be found east of The Dalles, OR between the elevations of 300'-2600'.