Spring at Camas Meadows

Spring at Camas comes with a rush.  As soon as the temperatures at night stay above freezing the snow starts melting and melting fast.  Camas Creek comes alive as the snow melts and attemps to leave the meadow.  This is the view of Camas Creek on April 1st.

The warm sunny days with temperatures in the mid 60's coupled with night time lows in the 40's extended the snow melt to a 24/7 affair.  So this winter that started slowly ends with a bang or maybe a swoosh.

The meadow is rapidly melting out and there is now much more brown than white on the meadow.  The elk normally show up on April 15th.   We expect them to be a week late this year due to snow, but we shall see.  In fifteen years they have never missed their appointed day.

The other visitor that everybody waits for is the Sandhill Cranes.  The have been returning to Camas for their "spring fling" now for over five years.  Every year they have arrived and spent a month at Camas before continuing on to their summer home.  We are not sure where it is, but there they raise their young.

So every spring the question is when will the elk return and will the Sandhill Cranes come back for another year.

The Glacier Lily's arrive without question.  They announce they winter is over and spring is here.

So book your trip to Camas Meadows now to see the elk, the Sandhill Cranes, and the 135 wildflowers found at Camas Meadows.  Those flowers will be blooming through June and into early July.  Peak wildflower display is usually in May.

Call for an update on wildflower displays this spring and early summer.