Table Mountain, Oroville
 

• This is a great location to take a guided tour or just wander on your own. There is even a waterfall in the area that you can hike to.
   
• Directions: From Hwy 70 in Oroville, exit at Grand Ave (Exit 48). Go East on Grand Ave for 1 mile. Left on Table Mountain Blvd for a tenth of a mile. Right on Cherokee Road 6.3 miles north to the reserve. Official access is through a small parking lot on the west side of Cherokee Road.
• Bloom season: February - April.
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Bear Valley, Colusa County
 

• This area doesn't have any formal access but there are groups that organize tours and meet-ups. If you go solo, you can park off the road as you go to check out the different blooms. 
   
• Address / Directions: To get to Bear Valley take the Williams exit from I-5 and drive 18 miles west on Highway 20, turn right and go north on Bear Valley Road for 14 miles.
• Bloom season: late February - April
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Deer Creek Oak Woodlands and Preserve, Placer County
 

• This location is open to the public on specific dates and times so be sure check in advance. There is no entry fee but they do take donations. Its a great spot for an easy hike with lots of spur trails too. 
   
• Address / Directions: From Sacramento – Take Hwy 50 to Bradshaw Exit, turn right onto Bradshaw, turn left onto Jackson Rd (Hwy 16), continue East, past Slough House, turn left onto Latrobe Rd.
• Bloom season: March - May
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Death Valley National Park, Inyo County
 

• The blooms here are usually pretty good, but if you can go in a super bloom year (which 2016 is predicted to be), prepare to be wowed. The park is so massive that even if visitation is at it's peak, you can still feel like you've got this place to yourself!
   
• Address / Directions: Coming from the west, State Route 14 and U.S. Route 395 lead to Ridgecrest, CA where State Route 178 heads east into the park. Further north on Hwy 395 at Olancha, CA you can join Hwy 190 to the park, or north of that at Lone Pine, CA, Hwy 136 will also join Hwy 190 heading east into the park.
   
• Bloom season: February - March
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Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino County
 

• Joshua Tree is located in San Bernardino County so this is no day trip but the wildflowers, Joshua Trees, and rock formations make this a destination you will want to extend into several days. Great hiking here too!
   
• Address / Directions: You can approach Joshua Tree from Interstate 10 or California Highway 62 (the Twentynine Palms Highway). The North Entrance is in Twentynine Palms, three miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Utah Trail.
• Bloom season: February - April
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Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County
 

• Yosemite is well known for it's Dogwood blooms but the elevation variations provide many opportunities from Spring - Summer to check out the wildflowers. In May, you can see Dogwoods and waterfalls at their peak flow. 
   
• Address / Directions: From Sacramento, take Highway 99 south to Highway 120 east (Manteca) or Highway 140 east (Merced) into Yosemite National Park.
• Bloom season: March - July
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Hite Cove, Mariposa County
 

• This is a fantastic short hike packed with a wide variety of wildflowers. There is poison oak on the trail through so be cautious through the narrow sections. 
   
• Address / Directions: The Hite Cove trailhead is on highway 140, 8.5 miles west of Yosemite's El Portal border and 21 miles east of Mariposa. It's at the site of the historic Savage's Trading Post.
• Bloom season: March - May
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Lassen National Park, Plumas County
 

• Lassen is filled with meadows, hikes, and lake side wildflowers that bloom into the summer months. An added bonus is that this park is far less crowded than Yosemite - the same distance from Sacramento.
   
• Address / Directions:
• Bloom season: May - September
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Anza Borrego, San Diego County
 

• Anza Borrego is not a concentrated park with one access point so be prepared for some driving (high clearance recommended) if you visit, but the payoff is a wide variety of landscapes to explore. This park is fantastic when the flowers are in bloom.
   
• Address / Directions: The Park is located on the eastern side of San Diego County. It is about a two-hour drive from San Diego, Riverside, and Palm Springs. Many visitors approach from the east or west via Highways S22 and 78.
• Bloom season: February - March
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Spenceville Wildlife Area, Yuba County
 

• Spenceville isn't a well known wildflower spot but there are lots of poppies among oaks here and an easy and great hike. This spot doesn't attract large crowds so its a great spot for peace and quiet too!
   
• Address / Directions: From Marysville take Highway 20 approximately 18 miles and turn right on Smartsville Road for 1 mile to enter the Wildlife Area.
• Bloom season: March - April
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