Monte Cristo & Glacier Basin, Washington

Wildflower Destinations > Washington Cascades (North)

Monte Cristo & Glacier Basin

Snohomish County, Washington

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Fees: NW Forest Pass

Activity: biking+hiking

Elevation: 2350'-4387'

Current status (as of 9/12/25): past peak

Notes: You can ride a bike all the way to the former mining town of Monte Cristo; this will take about 9 miles off the round-trip hiking distance. (The only tricky part is getting your bike across the Sauk River, but it's not too bad in late summer when the water is low.) From there it's only 2 miles to Glacier Basin.

Peak wildflower bloom at Monte Cristo & Glacier Basin is typically from mid-July through the end of August, but there may be some flowers blooming from early July until mid-September.*

Typical year:

Info links:

Washington Trails Association

NWS weather forecast

Wildflowers in this area:

WildflowerSearch.org

iNaturalist observations

Consortium of PNW Herbaria

[open map & profile in a new window]

[about these maps]

[return to the Places index]

* The dates given on this Web site for each location's blooming season are only estimates and can vary from year to year. Weather conditions in the winter and spring can shift these dates by up to a month, especially in the mountains. For the latest updates, check the Oregon Wildflowers or PortlandHikers Facebook groups, or browse the most recent postings to iNaturalist or Instagram.