“Super Bloom” seasons are when an unusually high number of wildflowers blossom in California’s deserts.

This can only occur when very specific conditions are met, after steady rains followed by warm temperatures causing seeds dormant for decades under the desert floor to burst open and produce an amazing display.

This past winter was our 3rd in LA and has been the rainiest so far. Super Blooms don’t happen all that often but I didn’t realize how rare this was until I started writing this. There can actually be years between each Super Bloom, the last was in 2017, but before that, there had not been one since 2008.

I remember this happening in 2017 but I wasn’t able to make it out to see it. When my fellow photographer friend Ashley told me to grab my camera and go to Lake Elsinore, I told Jeremy we had to go. We decided on a day to go and made the drive out. When we got there, we went past it and got off at an exit. This probably wasn’t the best idea because, it took us a long time to get back on the interstate.

This is a rural part of California I imagine the number of people the poppies are drawing in is likely causing a lot of stress to the locals. It took us probably 10 rounds of the light change to get back on the interstate and when we finally did, we creeped slowly. Jeremy suggested I stick my head out the sunroof and get some shots of the hillsides, he was right, they turned out awesome.

I’m grateful we went when we did. Later that evening, they started shutting down some of the trails around the poppies. People were damaging the flowers and it was starting to put a strain on the local town. Below I detail some of the best places to see the Super Blooms and there is still a few weeks left to see them!

If you do go, please be mindful of nature, don’t disturb any of the flowers and help to keep it intact so this beauty comes back again and again.

Best places to enjoy the Super Bloom - hurry before its too late!

Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore - This is where we went and all my photos are from. After brief closures and the crush of thousands of visitors, the city of Lake Elsinore has revised the visiting procedures. Be sure to check out their website for updates
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve - Peak poppy season is late March to mid April.
Chino Hills State Park - This area may not achieve full-blown super bloom status, small patches of poppies line some of the dirt trails over rolling green hills, with snow-capped visible in the distance.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - each canyon—Borrego Palm Canyon, Henderson Canyon Road and Coyote Canyon—offers different varieties.
Carrizo Plain - As of mid March 2019, peak bloom has yet to arrive.
Malibu Creek State Park - This landscape has drastically changed since the devastating Woolsey Fire but as of early March, little patches of poppies have started to make an appearance. Point Dume is another location in this area where you can spot some Wild Flowers!
Palos Verdes Peninsula - In this area wildflowers bloom year-round thanks to its coastal location, but like most SoCal locations, March and April are peak months.