In the Keg Springs→ area, you’ll be immersed subalpine meadows dominated by an abundance of wildflowers, and sometimes over a 100 different species in one meadow with cameos from artist favorites like  Indian paintbrush, silvery lupine, white mariposa, sticky geranium,  larkspurs. The Island Park trail is a great excursion for the hotter days of summer because your day’s end is never far from a swimming hole once your travels take you to the Caldera. 

Located 15 miles from Yellowstone National Park and surrounded on three sides by the Continental Divide, Henrys Lake State Park campsites are the perfect place to enjoy the shoreline of the 6,000-acre lake after a long day of fishing and hiking. 

Rose aspen, willow, serviceberry and snowberry follow the creek feeding the lake. Sagebrush, bitterbrush, and grasses such as needlegrass, mountain brome, fescue, and prairie junegrass grow on the slopes. Throughout much of the late spring and summer wildflowers like lupine, cinquefoil, buckwheat, arrowleaf balsamroot, common yarrow, geranium, gilia, monkeyflower and asters cover the lake’s slopes–and because of its lush vegetation, black bear, elk, moose, deer, grizzly bear and many birds love calling this area home. 

Hiking around the Snake River Range, Palisades Reservoir→, Mesa Falls→ and Teton Valley→ are great places to find late season flowers in bloom at the higher elevations. Wildflower season at Mesa Falls extends from spring through fall, with the peak generally occurring between May and October, and lots of opportunities to catch  Green Comet Milkweed→, Round-fruited St. Johnswort→ and Wild Bergamot→. With opportunities to catch fields of lupine and tufts of columbine in Teton Valley during the summer, be sure to check out TVTAP’s trail guide and resources to ensure you find the ride, hike or stroll that matches your speed.