Summer

Sitka Valerian Valeriana sitchensis Apr – Aug A tall subalpine wildflower with rounded clusters of sweet-scented white to pinkish flowers, common in moist mountain meadows in summer. Snowberry Checkerspot Euphydryas colon Jun – Jul A black butterfly checkered with ivory and red spots, seen in mountain meadows and open woods where its caterpillars feed on snowberry. Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus May – Dec A forest hare with oversized furry hind feet that turns white in winter in many places and hides in dense young conifers… Solomon’s Plume Maianthemum racemosum Apr – Sep A leafy, arching woodland plant topped in spring by a fluffy plume of tiny cream flowers that turn into speckled, then deep… Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia Year-round A dark, heavily streaked sparrow of brushy streamsides and thickets that sings a bright, varied song for much of the year. Sooty Grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus Apr – Nov A large, dark forest grouse best known for the deep, hooting song males give from high in conifers each spring. Often surprisingly… Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus Feb – Dec A big, boldly patterned sparrow with a black hood, red eyes and rusty sides that scratches noisily through leaf litter under shrubs. Spring Drive RV Campground 3,200 ft Spring Drive RV Campground, off Highway 216 in the Barlow Ranger District, has 8 roomy RV sites with full hookups among tall… Spring Orange Peel Fungus Caloscypha fulgens Apr – Jul A bright orange cup fungus that appears in spring as snowbanks melt under conifers. Its cups stain blue-green as they age or… Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri Mar – Oct A dark blue and black jay with a tall, shaggy crest and a harsh voice, common in Mt. Hood's conifer forests from… Still Creek Campground A campground near Mt. Hood, just past Government Camp off Highway 26, with stream fishing and trails for hiking, biking and riding… Subalpine Mariposa Lily Calochortus subalpinus Jun – Aug A small, creamy white mariposa lily with hairy, fringed petals that grows only in the Cascades from Mt. Adams to the Three… Summit Lake Campground A small, rustic campground on shallow Summit Lake in the Clackamas River Ranger District, with fishing, swimming, picnicking and walk-in sites. Sunshine Amanita Amanita aprica May – Jul A bright yellow to orange spring Amanita of open, sunny mountain conifer forest. It is poisonous and can cause serious illness. Tapered Matchstick Lichen Pilophorus clavatus Apr, Jun – Oct A tiny lichen of shaded forest rocks with short stalks tipped in black, like burnt matches poking out of the stone. Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Apr – Oct A thornless shrub with big, soft, maple-shaped leaves, crinkled white flowers and soft red fruit that birds and mammals eat. Threeleaf Foamflower Tiarella trifoliata Jun – Oct A shade-loving forest wildflower with airy sprays of tiny white flowers held above clumps of three-part leaves. Tollgate Campground & Day Use A campground with a day-use area off Highway 26 southeast of Sandy, with single and group picnic spots and stream fishing. Townsend’s Chipmunk Neotamias townsendii Apr – Oct Oregon's largest chipmunk, a dark, dull-striped resident of west Cascades forests that is often heard calling before it is seen. Trillium Lake Campground Mt. Hood National Forest's most popular campground, on Trillium Lake near Government Camp, with trout fishing, boating, swimming and mountain views. Trillium Lake Day Use 3,600 ft May – Dec Day-use area on 63-acre Trillium Lake off Highway 26 just east of Government Camp, with a picnic area, boat launch, fishing pier… Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Mar – Sep A big, dark soaring bird with a small red head that rocks on wings held in a shallow V. It finds carrion… Twinflower Linnaea borealis May – Aug A trailing evergreen of the forest floor whose thin, forked stalks each hold a pair of nodding, pink, sweetly scented bells. Vanilla Leaf Achlys triphylla May – Oct A carpet-forming forest wildflower with one three-part leaf held flat like a small table and a fuzzy white flower spike. Dry leaves…