Audubon Birding Day: Butterflies and Wildflowers of Lookout Mountain
This is a self-driving day trip. We will meet at 8:30 a.m. in Hood River, which is approximately a one-hour and twenty-minute drive from Portland. The meeting place is just north of the Sinclair gas station off exit 63 (GPS 45.712, -121.511) at the Hood River Waterfront Trail, Hood River, OR 97031.
Lookout Mountain, with an elevation of 6,536 feet, is the second-highest peak in Mount Hood National Forest. We will work our way up Lookout Mountain Road to the High Prairie trailhead making several stops for wildflowers and butterflies. Then we will work the meadows and hike up the 2.6-mile roundtrip to the very top. High-elevation wildflowers include Davis’s Knotweed, False Silverback, Partridgefoot, and Mt Hood Pussypaws. There is usually some hilltopping (the equivalent of a singles bar for butterflies at the top of a hill) occurring early afternoon which is fun to witness. We usually find about 25 species of butterflies.
Bring lunch and snacks and dress for the weather. Wear sunscreen and a hat, and bring plenty of water.
Due to the high elevation and possible fog, we have an alternate date of August 8.
