The road up Sawtelle Mountain provides an opportunity for many people to enjoy a drive up from valley sagebrush meadows to an alpine peak with a view of the Island Park caldera, Island Park Reservoir, and Henrys Lake. The peak is dominated by cushion plants, but the best wildflower viewing throughout the growing season tends to be the subalpine meadows along the way that are full of showy, flowering forbs. July and August provide visitors the best opportunities for wildflower viewing. A multitude of flowers can be seen: small sunflower (Helianthella uniflora) , Indian paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.), lupine (Lupinus spp.), western columbine (Aquilegia Formosa), sego lily (Calochortus sp.), sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum), and many others. The drive also takes you through a whitebark pine forest where the columbines (Aquilegia Formosa) are most abundant and the barren area before the peak is where to look for Parry’s townsend daisy (Townsendia parryi). The Sawtell Peak Trailhead is one mile down from the peak and is one of the best trails in the area for wildflower and landscape viewing, for those that would like to leave the car and do some hiking.