’Tis the season: A wonderful time for wildflowers in California

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’Tis the season: A wonderful time for wildflowers in California

April 18, 2008

Showers really do bring flowers, especially in California. The extra rainfall this year has spurred a terrific season of wildflowers.

That means it’s a great time to get out and explore. A reader (geekbearinggifts) recently told me about the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627 and kindly shared some tips for a visit.

Getting there
The Poppy Reserve is technically in Lancaster, but it’s really about 15 miles northwest of the city. From Los Angeles, take the I-5 to the 14 North into the Antelope Valley. Depending on traffic and exactly where you are coming from, I would plan on 1-2 hours to get there. Get off at Avenue I (that's the letter “I” as in H-I-J-K), and go west. The road will make some zigs and change names, but it will take you right into the Reserve, with lots of flowers along the way, so just keep following it – you're not lost! There is a road to the Interpretive Center on the right side of the road. It is well marked, and there are trails to some beautiful areas which start there.

What to bring
Wear athletic shoes or light hiking boots. We took a day pack. Plan to use sun screen, wear a hat, carry water with you, and bring a camera and a windbreaker. Bring food if you are planning to make a day of it – there are picnic tables available. The bathrooms are at the trail head, and they are glorified outhouses, with a hand-washing station outside on one end of the row. You pump the water with your foot to get a dribble. We carried hand sanitizer, too.

Timing
The trails from the center are not long (about 8 miles total for all of them) but you will probably spend a long time checking things out, especially if you are taking pictures. There are benches here and there along the trails. We got there mid-afternoon and left about 6:00 p.m. The Interpretive Center closes before that, but you can still be on the trails (I think till sunset). I have never seen anything quite like it.

Parking fee
During wildflower season you pay for parking unless you already have a California Parks pass of some kind. Passenger cars are $5, less if you have a senior (62+) in the car, or someone with the Disabled Discount Pass. If you go when the Interpretive Center is open, you can pay them something like 50 cents to send you a post card next year when the blooms are reaching their peak.

Here is a page of current photos: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24984.

Enjoy!

Thank you, GBG. If you have a favorite flower destination, Flower Blog would love to hear about it.

Flower Fact of the Day: Since World War I, poppies have been used as a symbol to honor veterans in the U.K.

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Comments

S. Malik | Reply
April 18, 2008

The images are really bful. I wish I was in California. Do you think these would be helpful to students of Botany. Do we get some rare species of flower here?