Paintbrush in Albion Basin

Castilleja

Paintbrush usually blooms from early July to mid-August in Albion Basin, with the best color from late July into early August.

early July – mid-August Best: late July into early August Out of season

The show usually starts around early July. Check back closer to the season.

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 196 flowering reports from Salt Lake County shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

Twenty minutes of dirt road above Salt Lake City ends in meadows of scarlet paintbrush under the Devil's Castle wall. Late July is the money week; parking fills by 8am.

Albion Basin (Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta)
Cecret Lake Trail (Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest)

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

Updated September 8, 2026. Bloom timing varies with the year's weather — the curve shows the usual rhythm, and in-season updates sharpen it.