Seeing the wildflowers Superbloom at the Carrizo Plain National Monument was so amazing that I’m not sure anything else can compare… After seeing pictures of fields and mountains covered with wildflowers at Carrizo Plain in Southern California, we knew that we had to visit the area, even though it is quite remote. Although it was near the end of the season in April, it did not disappoint, as we were treated to stunning views of VAST fields and mountains literally covered with wildflowers. The yellow and bright orange colors contrasted vividly with the deep blue waters of Soda Lake, while white and purple wildflower patches peeked through along our walks and hike. There is nothing more beautiful than nature’s glorious palette! In this post, I’ll share some photos we took during this trip and also information on photo locations.
Please note – a Superbloom doesn’t happen every year! Please check the Carrizo Plain wildflower hotline for updates if you’re planning on visiting, or visit the Carrizo Plain website. The Desert USA website also has wildflower updates for the area.
All photos were taken by me and my husband Ken. I currently use a Sony a6700, which I love for both photos and videos! (I still love my Nikon D750 though!) Check out my recently updated camera gear blog post!
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What is a Wildflower Superbloom?
According to Wikipedia, “A superbloom is a rare desert botanical phenomenon in which an unusually high proportion of wildflowers whose seeds have lain dormant in desert soil germinate and blossom at roughly the same time. The phenomenon is associated with an unusually wet rainy season.”
A Superbloom of Spring wildflowers in California happens rarely, only after a particularly wet winter, and usually in the desert areas near San Diego and Walker Canyon / Lake Elsinore. This year (2017), however, the Superbloom spread north, to the remote Carrizo Plain, and to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve and surrounding areas. These areas were literally covered with bright orange, yellow, white and purple wildflowers as in a flower-covered world!
What Type of Wildflowers Bloom at the Carrizo Plain?
The hills of the Carrizo Plain National Monument are completely covered with fields of yellow, purple and orange wildflowers during a Superbloom. The wildflowers that bloom there include goldfields, baby blue eyes, hillside daisies, tidy tips, larkspur, phacelia, coreopsis, and owl’s clover
Where is the Carrizo Plain National Monument?
The Carrizo Plain National Monument is located about 170 miles northwest of Los Angeles between San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield. It’s a vast and remote area that came alive with wildflowers this year due to the unusually wet winter after a long drought.
As we drove south on US-101, we turned onto CA-58, then took the Soda Lake Rd exit. It took us about 4.5 hrs to drive there from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Carrizo Plain Wildflower Photo Locations
These photos were captured from several different locations: in fields just outside the national monument along 7 Mile Road, at the Soda Lake overlook inside the monument, and from along a path up one of the mountain ranges. As we approached the Soda Lake overlook from Soda Lake Road, we began to see fields of wildflowers near the intersection with 7 Mile Rd. We got out and spent almost an hour taking pictures from that area! (we walked and drove east along 7 Mile Rd.)
After we visited the stunning Soda Lake overlook, we decided to head up one of the trails off of 7 Mile Rd for a closer-up view of the yellow hillside wildflowers and were able to catch a beautiful sunset on the way down.
We are so happy to have witnessed this rare Superbloom in California! I hope you enjoy these pictures! For more pictures of the wildflowers at the national monument, see the Bureau of Land Management’s Flickr’s album.
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Pansy ❤️
Hi, I’m Pansy!
Hello, thanks for stopping by! I’m Pansy, a California-based photographer, flower & nature lover, and travel blogger. 🌸🌼🌿
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Pansy ❤️
I was at Soda Lake on March 19th 2021 and there were no flowers like your photographs and Soda Lake was dry.
If only a Superbloom happens every year! As I mentioned in my post, it’s actually a rare event! I’ve added a couple of links for current wildflower conditions, including a wildflower hotline.
I was there during the Superbloom and it was amazing. Tried to see Antelope Valley this year, but it was mostly sunburnt dirt and grass. This was a record dry year. Hopefully we’ll get some normal years again and hopefully Superbloom once in a while.
Superblooms are just amazing aren’t they!? We’re so lucky to have seen at least one, but hopefully more in the future! 🙂