Flower show is spectacular right now. Go there while it lasts.
Some of my hiking friends recommended Bean Creek Basin as a great spot for wildflower viewing, so my son, wife, and I headed to the Teanaway area to check it out. We arrived at the Beverly Turnpike Trailhead around 10:30 on Tuesday morning. My car’s outside temperature gauge read 68°F. There were just three other cars in the large parking area. Note: there is no toilet at this trailhead.
We began our hike by crossing a sturdy bridge over Beverly Creek. At 0.4 miles in, we reached the junction where the Bean Creek Trail splits off to the right. From there, the trail follows alongside Bean Creek. At 0.8 miles, we crossed the creek—it was an easy rock hop and not difficult.
The hike up felt hot, as we were exposed to the sun most of the time. Some steep sections were slippery due to loose, dry dirt, especially on the descent. We encountered six fallen trees across the trail, but none were difficult to step over.
We arrived at Bean Creek Basin camp around 12:45 p.m., and the basin welcomed us with an explosion of color—vibrant purple monkshood, fiery red paintbrush, delicate white angelica, and a wide variety of other wildflowers in full bloom. While at the basin, we ran into two women from Ellensburg, who, coincidentally, knew several members of our hiking group.
After lunch, we followed an unofficial trail toward Bean Peak to get a closer look at the flowers scattered throughout the basin. I’ve never seen so many monkshoods in one place—it was spectacular.
Although the heat made the hike a bit challenging, we were more than rewarded by the stunning scenery and the wonders of nature. Even though I applied bug spray, a mosquito and a fly still managed to feast on my arm.
Our GPS track is in the link below.
Stats:
Distance: 5.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,165 ft
Highest Point: 5,840 ft (Bean Creek Basin)
Total Time: 5h 24m
Comments