Want to know which California flower fields to visit this spring? Here they are!
Every year I see people posting photos of spring blooms, I tell myself we’re going to go see them too. But every year, we plan too late, and they’ve already come and gone. I’m not much of a flower kind of girl (Jacob knows I will take nice food or booze over flowers any day), but there’s something I love about a whole field of flowers. If they were bugless, I could hang out in them all day.
This year has been the perfect storm for the super bloom in Southern California. Since I’m already obsessed with making daily lists for myself, I decided the best way to get myself to go is to come up with a list of places I want to go see them.
Timing is key with the super bloom, and the low desert is already seeing blooms right now (early March) and it’s predicted to last in the high desert until June. Don’t miss your chance to see them!
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Last Updated: September 5, 2023
Best Places to See California Flower Fields and When to Visit
1. Walker Canyon in Lake ELsinore
Trailhead Coordinates: 33.732593, -117.393808, map
Flower Type: California Poppy and Others
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
2. Carrizo Plain National Monument
17495 Soda Lake Rd, Santa Margarita, 93453, map
Flower Type: Goldfields, California Poppy, etc but differs year-to-year based on conditions
Season: February to May
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
3. The FLower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch →
5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, 92008, map
What: Tecolote Giant Ranunculus (also is known as a Persian Buttercup or Ranunculus Asiatic)
Season: Changes Yearly. Opens March 1st, 2023
Hours: 9 AM to 6 PM
We made an exception for the Flower Fields. These aren’t wildflowers, but it’s a sight you can’t miss.
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
See More: Photo Guide of the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch
4. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
15101 Lancaster Rd, Lancaster, 93536, map
What: Various Poppies (Primarily California Poppy)
Season: Late February to May, Check site for Bloom Status
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
5. Anza Borrego Desert State Park
652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, 92004, map
What: Parish’s Poppy, Hairy Desert-Sunflower, Desert Lily, Sand Verbena, Dune Evening Primrose, Indigo Bush, and other various wildflowers
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
When we visited, the caterpillars were eating through a whole field of them each day. They disappeared so fast that we had to look for small patches in Borrego Springs outside the park.
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
See More: Anza Borrego Desert State Park Jeep and Photo Adventure
6. Figueroa Mountain Poppy and Lupine Fields
Coordinates: 34.73486, -119.98585, map
What: California Poppy and Sky Lupine
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
7. Gorman Hills Flower Fields
Coordinates: 34.79264, -118.846951, map
What: California Poppy, California Tickseeds, Bentham Lupine, Bluehead Gilias, and Lacy Phacelias
Season: February to May
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
8. Point Buchon
Coordinates: 35.250187, -120.895203, map
What: California Poppy
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
9. Laguno Coast Wilderness Park
18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 92651, map
What: Hyacinth, Morning Glories, Popcorn Flowers, and Southern Suncups
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
10. Shell Creek Road Meadows
Coordinates: 35.46434, -120.33701, map
What: Goldfields, Coastal Tidy Tip, Baby Blue Eyes, and California Poppy
Season: February to April
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
11. Joshua Tree National Park →
Coordinates: 33.938204, -115.965612, map
What: Mojave Poppy, Canterbury Bells, Desert Dandelion, and more
Season: March to April, Changes Yearly
Hours: 24/7 Year Round
We found the largest concentration of Mojave poppies in Wilson Canyon. The bluebells and lupines were found in the Cottonwood Visitor Center area. It looks like the blooms are slowly going north now. See our recent reel from the road near Cottonwood Visitor Center.
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
See More: 11 Best Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park
271 Highway 190, Death Valley, 92328, map
What: Desert Star, Blazing Star, Desert Gold, Mimulus, Encelia, Poppies, Verbena, Evening Primrose, Phacelia, and more.
Season: Feb to April (Lower Elevations), April to May (3000-5000 ft elevations), May to July (5000 to 11000 ft elevation.
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Where to Stay: Find hotel and rental deals nearby.
See More: 15 Incredible Things to Do in Death Valley National Park
Southern California Wildflowers Map
More California Flower Fields and Wildflower Hot Spots
- Chino Hills State Park
- Coachella Valley Preserve
- Diamond Valley Lake
- Idyllwild Nature Center
- Montana de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County
- Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
- Malibu Creek State Park
- Mojave National Preserve
- Muir Woods
- North Table Ecological Reserve (Feb – Apr)
- Palos Verdes Peninsula (Mar – Apr)
- Pinnacles National Park
- Point Mugu State Park
- Red Rock Canyon State Park
- Valley of the Oaks (Mar-Apr)
- Hite Cove Trail, Northern California (Mar–May)
Essential Tips for Visiting and Photographing the Super Bloom
- Photo Tip – There are ways to photograph yourself “in” the flowers without going off trail. Shoot with a long lens and at a low vantage point. That will bring the distance between the flowers and you closer together and hide the trails.
- Go ASAP when you see people post about the super bloom. We saw entire fields disappear in a few days because caterpillars ate them. Did you know they eat 200 times their weight in flowers and leaves?
- Please respect the flowers so that others can enjoy them too, but respect people too. There’s a growing resentment for people visiting these California flower fields and trampling on the wildflowers. This also upsets us, but we’ve found that kindly educating people is better than shaming them. Since when did flowers become more important than humans?
- See wildflower updates on Desert USA. Other sites haven’t been as accurate and left us disappointed. Pay attention to posting dates and visitation dates since they may differ. You can also see who’s posting recently on #superbloom. I usually look in the captions or ask when they visited since many of them could be latergrams.
- Heavy Rain in the SouthWest will cause blooms to happen earlier than normal. It will also do some damage to the areas so pay attention to park closures.
Where to Stay to See California Flower Fields
Did You Miss the Spring Bloom Season in California?
If you miss the flowers in SoCal, head up to the PNW. The flowers bloom later there. Check out the best hikes to see Pacific Northwest Wildflowers.
I’ve always wondered by definition what qualifies as a wildflower (I mean… aside from the genetically modified ones… didn’t all flowers come from the wild?) Maybe you already know this, but in case you were wondering, I looked it up after all these years.
It’s simply a flower that grows without any care or nurturing. However, if you take that same flower and plant it in your garden, then it is no longer a wildflower if you intend to keep it alive longer than its natural lifespan. Where my florists/botanists at?
Planning Checklist
- Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
- Find a great deal on San Diego hotels.
- Arrange a rental car for your trip.
- Book a tour for your visit.
- Get airport lounge access.
- Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
- Get a new backpack for your trip.
- Buy a SoCal travel guide.
- Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
- Don’t forget your in-flight essentials.
Have you been to any of these flower fields in California? Out of these places, where would you be most interested in visiting?
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
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Excellent post! Most helpful article yet on festivals in New Orleans! Thank you so much for your article, recommendations, and tips! Much appreciated!
Hi! I live in LA and I’m trying to find somewhere to see sunflowers in bloom- it’s about to be peak season but every single flower field I’ve found online is only till April or May at the latest. Any leads or tips would be much appreciated!
Great question! I don’t know of any right now but I’ll ask around and be sure to let you know if I have any leads.
Kelsey, did you ever find a sunflower field near LA?