#1 Abbotts Lagoon, Marin County

• Abbotts Lagoon is an easy 3.6 mile out and back hiking trail on the Point Reyes National Seashore. It has a nice variety of wildflowers along the way, as well as wildlife. 
• Address / Directions: From Highway 1 in Petaluma, Turn right onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd for about 6.5 miles, then continue straight onto Pierce Point Road. The parking area is about 3.5 miles down this road, on the left.  
• Bloom season: March - May
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#2 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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#3 Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Los Angeles County

• Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a state-protected reserve, harboring the most consistent blooms of California poppies. 
• Address / Directions: The reserve is located in northern Los Angeles County, 15 miles west of Lancaster. 
• Bloom season: February - May
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#4 Apple Hill Orchards, Placer County

• The apple orchards in Apple Hill are covered with flowers each spring. Not a true wildflower, this provides a different photo opportunity or just a nice drive through the many backroads that make up apple hill - with the bonus of yummy treats available at some of the growers. 
• Address / Directions: Take Highway 50 towards Placerville. Take the Carson Road exit and follow the signs to the various locations. Boa Vista is a good place to start, is open year round, and is located on Carson Road. 
• Bloom season: March - April

#5 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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#6 Bear Valley Trail, Point Reyes, Marin County

• The Bear Valley Trail is a very popular hiking trail in Point Reyes. The benefit is that a majority of the trail is wide so you will still have some room to hike and enjoys the many wildflowers along the way without being shoulder to shoulder with other hikers. The trail terminates at a beach which also makes a nice lunch spot. 
• Address / Directions: I recommend using navigation to drive to the Bear Valley Visitor Center parking area located at 1 Bear Valley Visitor Center Access Road, Point Reyes Station, CA 
• Bloom season: March - April
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#7 Beeks Bight, El Dorado County 

• Beeks Bight, located in the Folsom SVA offers hiking trails and lupines. In 2021, with low lake levels and the right conditions, this area experienced a super bloom. While that isn't typical, this is still a nice area to hike, view the lake, and see wildflowers at a leisurely pace. 
• Please practice leave no trace principles. When I visited in 2021, I saw massive areas of flatted lupines then realized why when I saw a small family adorned with props and a selfie stick sitting in the middle of a patch to get a photo of themselves. It was then that I realized why there were so many trampled flowers. Don't be that visitor! 
• Bloom season: March - May 

#8 Bodega Bay, Sonoma County
 

• Bodega bay has some very nice trails and a small town with cute houses that all seem to have Echium (Pride-of-Madeira) blooming out front in the spring. If you want to photograph these, look for a safe place along the road as Highway 1 is narrow and winding, which can be treacherous for the flower peeper. 
• The Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve is in this area as well and worth a visit when the rhododendrons are blooming. 
• Bloom season: March - July
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#9 Carrizo Plains National Monument, San Luis Obispo County
 

• Carrizo Plains is a large enclosed grassland plain featuring large fields of wildflowers, and Soda Lake, which is normally a dry lake bed. 
• There are no services in this remote area, so you need to plan accordingly. The main park road is open year round but most of the roads within the Monument have an unimproved dirt surface and become impassable during periods of rain.
• Bloom season: March - April 
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#10 Chimney Rock, Marin County

• The Chimney Rock area is a popular destination for wildflowers. The 1.75-mile round-trip Chimney Rock Trail leads along the ridge crest of a narrow peninsula, offering spectacular views of Drakes Bay and the coastline stretching to the southeast.
• There is a restroom at the parking area but no other services within 30-40 minutes of the trail. Parking is extremely limited. 
• This location is also good for viewing elephant seals and birds
• Chimney Rock is located at the eastern end of the Point Reyes Headlands. Allow 45 minutes for the drive from the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
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#11 Cronan Ranch, El Dorado County

• Cronan Ranch is another great place for hiking and wildflowers. The trails are wide and easy with good access to wildflower displays. Access is free. Parking fills up by afternoon, so arrive early. 
• During my last trip there, I played with zooming and tilting my lens during long exposures to get some different images. 
• Address / Directions: From Highway 50, exit Ponderosa Road for Shingle Springs. Cross over the freeway, then turn right on North Shingle Road. Stay to the left at the “Y” several miles from the freeway and continue on Lotus Road. At the “T” that marks the junction of Highway 49 and Lotus Road, stay left. Follow this road until you reach the signs for Cronan Ranch on your left.
• Bloom season: March - May
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#12 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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#13 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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#14 Dixon Sunflowers 

• These don't technically qualify as "wildflowers" but they are pretty photogenic nonetheless. These are planted in different fields each year so you can't count on them being in the exact same place from year to year but they are generally close by and easy to locate. They are on private farmland so please be respectful and do not trespass. I always bring a telephoto lens so I can shoot without trespassing. 
• Address / Directions: On or near Currey Road, Dixon 
• Bloom season: July

#15 Hidden Falls Regional Park, Placer County

• This is a gem in the Auburn area with hiking trails, a waterfall, ample parking. It gets busy on the weekends so they do require a permit to park on the weekends now. 
• Address / Directions: 7587 Mears Place, Auburn, CA 95603
• Bloom season: late March - May
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#16 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 trail head 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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#17 Jensen Botanical Garden, Sacramento County 

• You might not exactly consider this a wildflower location, but the gardens do have a lot of blooms throughout the spring. The highlight for me is the tulip blooms that surround a large Oak tree. These are fenced off to help reduce people walking among them, but you can easily get photos of the tulips. 
• There is no fee to enter this park, but there are also no services. 
• Address/Directions: From Highway 50, take sunrise north to Fair Oaks, then follow Fair Oaks passed Hollister Avenue. The park is well marked on the left. 
• Bloom season: March - May 
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#18 Jepson Prairie Preserve, Solano County

• Jepson Prairie is a small preserve in Dixion. It is a good place to view vernal pools. The trail is short and flat and access is free. 
• Address / Directions: From Highway 80, take Hwy 113 South toward Dixon. Travel about 10 miles past Dixon. When Hwy 113 takes a 90 degree turn to the east, exit by continuing straight onto Cook Lane. 
• Bloom season: March - May
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#19 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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#20 Lake Forest Beach, Placer County 

• This location is known for it's impressive lupine blooms that are about 2 feet tall. This can be a tricky location for lupines because if there is a lot of snowmelt, the area can be underwater. 
• Address / Directions: From downtown Tahoe City, follow N. Lake Boulevard north. Turn right on Lake Forest Road, then turn right onto Bristlecone Street. Parking is free but very limited and this location gets crowded in the summer months. 
• Bloom season: May - August (varies based on rain/snowfall) 

#21 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: From Sacramento, take Interstate 5 north for 142 miles, then take CA-44 east, then to 89 south into the park.
• Bloom season: May - September
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#22 Merced River Canyon, Mariposa County 

• The hillsides along Highway 140, in the Merced River Canyon are covered in orange Tufted Poppies during the spring. You can enjoy these from your car, or park along the road to get out for a closer view. This is also a good viewing location if you are in the area to hike Hite Cove. 
• Address / Directions: Head west on Highway 140 from Mariposa, towards Yosemite National Park. The area is located between Mariposa and El Portal. 
• Bloom season: March - April 

#23 Ocotillo Wells SVRA, San Diego County 

• Ocotillo Wells is an 85,000 acre desert area open for off-highway exploration and recreation. This area is also a good location to see large fields of desert wildflowers in the spring. This area also offers camping and a visitor center. 
• Address/Directions: Highway 78, Borrego Springs
• Bloom season: March - June 
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#24 Pacific Grove, Monterey County

• The area around Point Pinos Lighthouse has easy parking, nice beach access, trails, and plenty of flowers. I actually spent time at the El Carmelo cemetery photographing hummingbirds and Red Aloe for hours and found it quite peaceful. Note: The bright pink flowers that carpet the hiking trails near the coast peaks in April. 
• Address/Directions: Pacific Grove is just west of Monterey. The lighthouse area is located at 80 Asilomar Ave. 
• Bloom season: January - April 
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#25 Redwoods National and State Parks

• The Redwoods have more to offer than just giant trees. You can see different varieties of flowers in bloom throughout the year. 
• The Redwoods is made up of National and State Parks. All of these are good places to look for wildflowers. Check at the visitor centers for what is blooming when you are in the area. 
• Address/Directions: Redwood National and State Parks is located in northernmost coastal California, about 325 miles north of San Francisco. Roughly 50 miles long, the parklands stretch from Crescent City in the north to the Redwood Creek watershed south of Orick, California. 
• Bloom season: January - September 
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#26 San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco County

• The Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is a destination all it's own and the botanical garden is set within the park and Strybing Arboretum. It features many plants and flowers from around the world. 
• Put on your walking shoes because you can spend hours here enjoying the gardens. 
• Address / Directions: San Francisco Botanical Garden is located in Golden Gate Park, near the corner of Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way
• Bloom season: year round
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#27 Sequoia National Park, Tulare County
 

• Sequoia is another great spot for dogwoods. I happened to be there during the height of the bloom when an unexpected snowstorm came through. It made for some beautiful conditions. 
• Address / Directions: From Sacramento, take highway 99 south 200 miles to highway 198-East. Follow this for 40 miles into the park. 
• Bloom season: May - August
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#28 Sierras - High Country (along the 395 corridor) 

• The high country is a great place to view wildflowers into the summer months because of the elevation. There are many hikes that feature wildflowers - so take your pick. 
• Address / Directions: Highway 395 between Lee Vining and Big Pine. 
• Bloom season: May - August

#29 South Yuba River State Park, Nevada County

• This park has a lot of hiking along the South Yuba River and offers wildflower walks in the spring. Parking is $5. 
• Address / Directions: I-80 to Auburn, then take Hwy 49 North for 22 miles. In Grass Valley take Hwy 20 West for 8 miles. Turn right  on Pleasant Valley Rd. for 8 miles.
• Bloom season: March - May
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#30 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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#31 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.
• Access is free and this place gets very busy on spring weekends. Get there early for good parking. 
• 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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• The Botanic Garden of Tilden Park offers guided tours on most Saturdays, or you can wonder on your own. 
• Address / Directions: Entrances off Wildcat Canyon Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Shasta Rd, Berkeley 
• Bloom season: Something is blooming any time of the year
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• The UC Davis Arboretum has three different loop trails that follow Putah Creek and contains gardens from different climates and regions. They even have a redwood grove.  There are multiple parking lots here and multiple entrance points into the gardens, so plan your route ahead of time to park in the best location. 
• Address / Directions: From Sacramento, follow Highway 80 west to Old Davis Road (exit 71). Follow Old Davis Rd and La Rue Rd to Garrod Dr. 
• Bloom season: Something is blooming any time of the year, but spring is best 
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• The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is a great place to take a stroll and see a variety of blooms represented by different regions. It is also a good place to see birds. 
• Address / Directions: From North Highway 1, Drive to Santa Cruz (Highway 1 becomes Mission Street). Turn left on Bay Street towards the UCSC campus. Turn left on High Street. The garden entrance is about 1/2 mile on the right. 
• Bloom season: Something is blooming any time of the year, but spring is best 
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• 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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