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Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve: A Vibrantly Colored Slice of Wildflower Heaven





Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Driving in from the Valencia end, taking the very windy, and long San Francisquito Canyon Rd, instead of the 14 freeway, was refreshing. And, thanks to the recent rains, the endless rolling hills are lushly green!  As you near the poppy reserve splotches of orange poppies, purple and yellow wild flowers begin to fill in the landscape. Until the awe inspiring moment when you finally come around the bend and spy the Reserve in the distance. The multicolored sea of poppy and wildflower blanketed land, with snow capped mountains in the backdrop, really does take your breath away. 

Spy the nearby farm with it's unique square patches of orange poppy flowers, that have drawn quite the crowd. And smile at the others who opted to stop and take photographs of the poppy covered hills alongside the road. Me and the hubster poked some fun at the people trying to get easy Instagram photos without putting in any of the work (hiking the paths at the reserve). I highly recommend waiting to explore and take photographs of the stunning landscapes that exist inside the Poppy Reserve. There is nothing like hiking around the bend and being surprised by spectacular view after spectacular view. The vibrantly colored yellow Acton Daisies, purple Lupine or Lacy Phacelia, and of course the orange California Poppy, are a feast for the eyes. I had hoped to encounter more variety of wild flowers, but understand that it is still early spring. 

Many visitors decided to park on the main road, outside of the reserve. Which is free, and free is always good. However, they had a very LONG walk up to the reserve itself. We got stuck in a half hour line of cars waiting to park. Any other day we would have made the trek, but we were both feeling under the weather.  Parking is ten dollars, collected by an attendant who hands you a permit. I recommend you take the main path into the reserve. This will take you up and around. At some point you will encounter the Valley Vista Point trail marker. Take the Antelope Butte Trail. A mostly flat trail that leads out to the most spectacular blooms. I hope you have a chance to visit this spectacular place. Please enjoy the lovely photos I've posted below, and happy hiking!









































 

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 11, 2023 at 7:19 AM

    It was a really lovely hike. And you describe it so well. The pictures we took really don't do the place justice.

    ReplyDelete

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