Perennials, mostly 6-12 cm (cespitose or ± matted); proximal indument thinning with age, grayish, mostly arachnoid-sericeous to thinly lanuginose. Stems mostly 5-20+, ascending to erect. Leaves basal, 1-5 cm; largest blades broadly ± elliptic, ± plane, 1-pinnately lobed; lobes 2-5 pairs, remote, ± plane. Heads 1(-3) per stem. Peduncles mostly ascending to erect, 5-10 cm. Involucres ± obconic. Phyllaries: longest 8-12 mm; outer predominantly closely lanuginose, sparsely, if at all, stipitate-glandular, apices erect, ± rigid. Corollas 5-6.5 mm. Cypselae 5-6.5 mm (eglandular); pappi: longest scales 2.5-4.5 mm (lengths 0.4-0.8 times corollas). 2n = 12.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Subalpine, usually decomposing granitic sand or gravel slopes, ridges, scree, talus, openings in or above conifer forests; 1200-3000 m; Idaho.

Chaenactis evermannii is known from mountains of central Idaho. Reports of it from Washington and California/Nevada (P. Stockwell 1940, some as C. nevadensis var. mainsiana) were based on specimens of C. thompsonii and C. alpigena, respectively; all three species are closely related.