2019 Wildflower Superbloom in Southern California - Where to See Them This Spring!

As we start to enter the warmer months after weeks of heavy rain in Southern California,

promises of another wildflower superbloom similar to Spring of 2017 are on the horizon.

Especially after the devastating damage from the wildfires back in November in some areas

surrounding Los Angeles, the chances of fields of California poppies and other brightly colored wildflowers popping up on the sides of our mountains and hills are high.

Wildflower Superbloom 2017, Courtesy of Rob.Bertholf on Flickr

The best places to see the superbloom are in places with fairly low elevation. The

superbloom starts in the valley floors in early March and will slowly work its way to the high

desert closer to June. Some of the most popular viewing points include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, but those definitely aren’t the only places to catch those brightly colored views! Some less populated areas include the Morongo Valley Preserve (which is just outside Joshua Tree National Park), and the Coachella Valley Preserve. If you’re more of a National Parks fanatic, taking a drive through Joshua Tree National Park, starting at the south entrance, is usually promising, and there will even be wildflowers taking over Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert. There should even be some wildflowers in the burn areas affected by the Woolsey Fire back in the fall, such as Malibu Creek State Park.

Super Bloom 2017 at Carrizo Plain National Monument, Courtesy of blmcalifornia on Flickr

If you do go to see the wildflowers this spring, make sure you remember leave no trace

principles, especially since the wildflowers are considered protected flora. Make sure you stick to trails and roads, please don’t play in the flowers, and definitely don’t pick them, so that other people have the chance to enjoy the same beauty you did. Another great way to protect the wildflowers is to consider not geo tagging your pictures on Instagram, so that these pretty places stay a little more private and crowds don’t start flocking to the more secluded spots! But more than anything, have fun, and get outside to enjoy this rare beauty in the usually drought-ridden desert.

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