It turns out all the rainy days we’ve been having in LA lead to something beautiful! Following the 2017 Superbloom, we weren’t expecting another incredible bloom for years. Now’s your chance to get the best Instagram pictures surrounded by pretty, colorful flowers.
Here are the 7 pretty places to see the Super Bloom in LA (or within driving distance).
FYI, drive time is calculated from Downtown Los Angeles, so it’s pretty relative.
Point Mugu State Park
Drive: 1.5 hours
Details: Point Mugu State Park is located in Malibu just off the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a great place to watch the sunset, hang out at the beach, and of course, see the wildflowers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR1w3PtlK97/?taken-at=908969933
Chino Hills State Park
Drive: 1.5 hours
Details: To get to the wildflowers at Chino Hills State Park, you’ll have to hike in about one mile because you won’t see them right away. The park is only open until 5pm and some trails are closed, so check the website before you go for updates.
Diamond Valley Lake
Drive: 2 hours
Details: Diamond Valley Lake is located in Riverside County. You can find a map on their website of the seasonal wildflower trail (open Wednesdays through Sundays).
Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
Drive: 2 hours
Details: The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is located just 16 miles west of Lancaster. The poppies have been blooming as of March 13th on the east side of the park, according to their website. They predict that the bloom will last through April.
Walker Canyon Ecological Reserve
Drive: 2 hours
Details: The Walker Canyon Ecological Reserve is located in Lake Elsinore in Riverside County. It borders Anza-Borrego State Park, so you can make this a two-part trip if you still can’t get enough of the Super Bloom.
Joshua Tree National Park
Drive: 2.5 hours
Details: There have been sightings of wildflowers most recently on the south end of the park, according to DesertUSA.com. As of March 17th, there were wildflowers on the park entrance road just north of the freeway.
Anza-Borrego State Park
Drive: 3 hours
Details: The Anza-Borrego State Park looks to be the most popular spot to see the Super Bloom! Wildflowers like Sand Verbenas, Brown-eyed Evening Primrose, Desert Sunflowers, Spectacle-pod, Desert Lilies, Lupine, and Dune Primrose are currently blooming here.
If you’re planning to take photos (and you should!) remember to stay on the trails and not to pick the flowers. Remember the old adage: take only photos, leave only footprints.
Still obsessed with wildflowers and want to know more? Check out the Theodore Payne Foundation’s Wild Flower Hotline which has been offering free weekly wildflower updates for Southern and Central California for 34 years! Emmy-award winner, Joe Payne, is the voice of the Wild Flower Hotline and you can listen here every week for his updates.
If you’re not in the mood to drive far away, there are some wildflowers blooming in the city in Griffith Park, Elysian Park, and Ascot Hills Park. They’re just not considered part of the actual Super Bloom.
Do you know of any other places to see the Super Bloom? Comment below or tweet me to give me the details. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram in all your fabulous, blooming photos!
