Baker River Wildflowers and Pollinators

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society

Field Trip: Baker River Wildflowers and Pollinators

After pre-registering with Jim Davis (jimdavisscs [at] gmail [dot] com), meet at 10:00 AM at the Baker River Trailhead at the end of the Baker Lake Road. Dense forest limits flowering plant abundance in much of the North Cascade lowlands. However, there are lowland areas with abundant flowers and, of course, their associated pollinators. River and lake margins provide habitats where sunlight penetrates far enough into riparian areas to create healthy flowering plant communities. Meandering rivers (Baker River as a prime example) also create forest openings that gradually recover to mature forest, going through several stages of flowering shrubs and small trees. If we have time, we may even visit a burned area along Park Creek where the shrub layer is slowing recovering. Late May to early June is the best time to visit the Baker River area. We should see quite a few flowers. This will be a relatively easy hike of about 2+ miles on mostly level terrain along the river. Hopefully the weather will be good, but you never know, so bring appropriate rain gear and warm clothing. Also bring a lunch and plenty of water. Don’t forget your Forest Service / Park Service parking pass. There are no fee stations in the area. We will be meeting at the trailhead, so please arrange your own carpools as you think appropriate. It can be up to a two-hour drive to the trailhead, depending on how many stops you need to make along the way. The trip is limited to 12 people, so please register with Jim Davis at jimdavisscs [at] gmail [dot] com.

Photo by Jim Davis.