Balsamroot in the Columbia River Gorge

Balsamorhiza careyana

Balsamroot usually blooms from late March to late May in the Columbia River Gorge, with the best color from mid-April into early May.

late March – late May Best: mid-April into early May Out of season

The show usually starts around late March. Check back closer to the season.

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 111 flowering reports from Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

Yellow balsamroot and blue lupine on open bluffs above the Columbia — the Gorge's east-end spring classic. Rowena's loop trails are short, windy, and worth it.

Tom McCall Preserve at Rowena
Catherine Creek (Gifford Pinchot National Forest)
Columbia Hills State Park (Dalles Mountain Ranch road)

We name public reserves, parks, and roads only — never exact pins, never private land.

Nearby on the calendar

Balsamroot in the Methow Valley — best early May into mid-May

Updated August 14, 2026. Bloom timing varies with the year's weather — the curve shows the usual rhythm, and in-season updates sharpen it.