Skip to main content

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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ocean Trails Reserve - Rancho Palos Verdes (Ocean views galore)

Ocean Trails Reserve - Palos Verdes                 By: Dahlia Acevedo Where has this Ocean trail been all my life?! I viewed several posts about the place, as well as photographs, which did not do this place justice at all! We are talking 360 beautiful views of the golf course (which runs parallel to the trail at first), gorgeous homes in the distance, the mountains, as well as constant ocean views. Let me just take a moment to comment on the color of the ocean (really colors), A deep blue with turquoise pools, crystal clear in spots, exposing the algae below (coastline). There are four paths, two that lead down to the beach area, which is completely covered in small, grayish white rocks. Making it totally unique and picturesque. I've never seen anything like it. I've  posted a picture of the awesome looking zig zag trail leading down to the beach. Once you descend, you will see the bottom half of the cliffs are covered in rolling green, gra...
Post a Comment
Read more

Juan Bautista De Anza Trail - Lake Balboa

Juan Bautista De Anza Trail Lake Balboa I feel lucky to have so many walking and biking trails within walking distance of where I live. I usually cycle past the Juan Bautista trail head, reminding myself to walk it soon, as it is so lovely. Even though it isn't quite so warm yet, I highly recommend walking / running the flat, dirt trail early in the morning or later in the evening. I started my trek at about 9 am, and it was already pretty warm. The trail, (located off of Balboa Ave., between Victory Blvd. and Burbank Blvd), runs alongside the very green and beautifully manicured Woodley Lakes Golf Course the entire duration. Keep an eye out for a gaggle of geese or two, that have made the golf course their favorite hang out. Or mated pairs of herons tending to their rather noisy chicks up in the trees. I was lucky to spot them flying around each other yesterday. Their babies sound similar to the wild parrots nesting in the trees along my street. Yes, I said parrots. Some believe t...
2 comments
Read more

Intermittent Fasting, and My Personal Experience

By Dahlia Acevedo My mother was actually the first person to enlighten me about intermittent fasting. I remember her being really excited about the prospect of not being on an actual diet, and having to constantly think about what you put in your mouth. She explained that participants in a recent study continuously lost weight every week without changing anything about their daily routine (this includes what they ate and how often they ate). They simply stuck to a 12 hour on / 12 hour off fasting period. For example, if they had their first meal or snack at 9am, and their last meal or snack at 9pm. They would then refrain from ingesting anything but water, from 9pm until 9am. This means, no liquids (milk, juice, soda), no alcohol, and no sugar. And let me tell you, this is doable! The last time I saw my mother (a few weeks back), she told me she has lost seven pounds fasting twelve hours a day. I was so excited for her! Now, to be fair, I  asked if she has been eating any dif...
2 comments
Read more