California is gearing up for another this spring – and it’s set to be an impressive one, with swathes of rainbow-colored wildflowers expected to bejewel the state’s hillsides. However, state park officials are begging visitors to enjoy the flowers responsibly.
The Golden State experienced blooms in 2017, 2019, and , attracting hundreds of thousands of people eager to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. While appreciation of the bloom is encouraged, the deluge of visitors takes its toll on the landscape.
“In recent years, California has been lucky to see spectacular wildflower blooms in many public lands, including in state parks,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero in a . “We welcome all Californians and visitors from around the world to experience this natural phenomenon and ask all to keep the ‘Beauty in the Bloom’ by staying on designated trails and taking only photos, not flowers.”
A superbloom is a rare phenomenon in California and the US Southwest, whereby seeds that have lain dormant in the soil germinate and blossom at more or less the same time. Blooms tend to occur following an unusually wet rainy season, as heavy rain transforms the sometimes desert-like terrain, resulting in a floral explosion.
Factors including the amount and timing of the rain, amount of sunlight, humidity levels, and seasonal temperature patterns can all impact the bloom. At their peak, California’s superblooms can be so extensive that they’re .
This year, following a winter of record-breaking rainfall, visitors may expect to see a rainbow of lupine, coreopsis, desert sunflowers, evening or brown-eyed primroses, desert bells, desert poppies, and desert lilies. According to public land managers, a “good” to “better-than-average” wildflower bloom is on the cards.
If you’re planning to peek at the carpeted hillsides in person, the California Department of Parks and Recreation urges that you respect the landscape by sticking to designated trails, and refrain from trampling or picking the flowers. Drone use is also restricted, and you may need a filming permit from individual state park units. Dogs should be kept on a leash on designated roads, in campgrounds, and in picnic areas, and are not permitted on hiking trails.
Ultimately, they ask that you “help keep the landscapes pristine, leaving it better than when you arrived by packing out anything you packed in.”
The department also cautions that you take care of yourself and come prepared with plenty of food and water, appropriate clothing, and sunscreen.
And if you’ve had your fix of flowers, last year California experienced a “” as an abundance of mushrooms sprouted up across the state.