California is preparing for another super bloom this spring, and it promises to be spectacular, with swathes of rainbow-colored wildflowers predicted to adorn the state’s hillsides. However, state park authorities urge visitors to enjoy the blossoms carefully.
The Golden State had blooms in 2017, 2019, and 2023, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors eager to witness the spectacle. While admiration for the bloom is encouraged, the influx of visitors takes a toll on the scenery.
“In recent years, California has been lucky to see spectacular wildflower blooms in many public lands, including state parks,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “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 in which latent seeds germinate and bloom roughly simultaneously. Blooms typically appear during an extremely wet rainy season, when torrential rain alters the sometimes desert-like environment, culminating in a floral outburst.
The amount and timing of rain, the amount of sunlight, humidity levels, and seasonal temperature variations all impact the bloom. At their peak, California’s super blooms can be so large that they can be seen from space.
This year, after a winter of record-breaking rainfall, visitors can expect to see a rainbow of lupine, coreopsis, desert sunflowers, evening or brown-eyed primroses, desert bells, desert poppies, and desert lilies. Public land managers predict a “good” to “better-than-average” wildflower bloom.
If you plan to visit the carpeted slopes in person, the California Department of Parks and Recreation recommends that you respect the scenery by staying on designated pathways and refraining from trampling or harvesting the blooms. Drone use is likewise prohibited, and you may need to obtain a filming permit from each state park unit. Dogs must be leashed on approved roads, campgrounds, and picnic places, but are not permitted on hiking routes.
Finally, they request that you “help keep the landscapes pristine, leaving it better than when you arrived, by packing out anything you packed in.”
The agency also advises you to take care of yourself and bring lots of food, water, adequate clothing, and sunscreen.
And if you’ve had your fill of flowers, California witnessed a “super shroom” last year, with an abundance of mushrooms sprouting up over the state.
