Mount Rainier Guest Services announced yesterday the arrival of an annual bloom of the mountain’s striking wildflowers, which traditionally signals the arrival of summer to the meadows of Paradise. The snow has melted allowing nature’s color palate to bloom in abundance.

Mount Rainier National Park is home to 787 varieties of plants, a large portion of which are the colorful wildflowers. A short walk on any of Mount Rainier’s well-marked trails will provide visitors views of the park’s natural beauty. The Bear Grass and Indian Paintbrush wildflowers are in full bloom.

Visitors to the Sunrise area will find a brilliant display of wildflowers already in bloom, including Avalanche Lilies, Purple Lupine and Columbine.

Paradise trails and the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center are open to visitors during the construction of the new visitor center and rehabilitation of the Paradise Inn. Expect significantly reduced levels of parking during the construction. Consider visiting Paradise on weekdays, either early or late in the day to avoid parking congestion.

A complimentary shuttle service to Paradise is available from Longmire or Cougar Rock Picnic area every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day weekend.

Overnight accommodations in Mount Rainier National Park are available at the National Park Inn. For reservations or information, call (360) 569-2275 or visit http://www.rainier.guestservices.com .

Guest Services, Inc. is a private hospitality company dedicated to excellence in food, hotel, resort and leisure services. Originally established to provide quality food service in government facilities, Guest Services and its subsidiaries today employ over 3,500 team members serving over 25 million guests annually at more than 250 facilities nationwide.