This well camouflaged little critter, between 4 and 7 cm long, can be found above 2000' elevation throughout the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains, with the largest populations around the volcanic peaks. They inhabit damp forest areas, swampy meadows, small streams, lakes, and temporary seasonal ponds, generally staying close to still or slow-moving water.

Each female lays over 400 eggs in a lake or spring snowmelt pond, but very few of the tadpoles make it past their first year. Eggs take a couple of weeks to hatch, while the tadpole stage lasts around 3 months. Masses of tadpoles are commonly seen in the warmest patches of shallow water near the shores of alpine lakes. It blows my mind that tadpoles have gills, a tail fin, and no legs, while adults have lungs, legs, and no tail. What a metamorphosis that is to go through!

Frogs hibernate through the winter after burying into the muddy bottoms of lakes or ponds.

The Cascades Frog is currently recognized as a species of concern in Washington State, and under review for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

I'm not 100% sure the species of these tadpoles, which I photographed in Aurora Lake near where I saw the adult frog. Please let me know if you have better info!