See bursts 'super blooms' in the West and learn where to find them

Camille Fine, USA TODAY
·2 min read
8

Large wildflower blooms are blanketing areas across the West’s normally arid open spaces after a wet winter that dumped heavy winter snow and rain.

The intense weather caused deaths and damage to infrastructure while also helping provoke a flood of wildflowers. Brilliant orange blooms — often called “super blooms”— are bursting in fields of poppies near Los Angeles.

Due to the heat and drought conditions, poppies haven't blanketed Southern California’s hillsides since the 2019 bloom.

According to NASA, California’s iconic super blooms occur sporadically, usually after winters with higher than average precipitation, and attract many sightseers — so much so that one town barred visitors from its bloom fields ahead of the season.

Many towns have cautioned visitors this year in the name of both safety and conservation.

A girl poses for a snapshot in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
A girl poses for a snapshot in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
A woman jumps as she has a snapshot taken in a poppy field near Lancaster, Calif. in northern Los Angeles County.
A woman jumps as she has a snapshot taken in a poppy field near Lancaster, Calif. in northern Los Angeles County.
Visitors walk along paths in a poppy field near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
Visitors walk along paths in a poppy field near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
Poppies sway in the breezy weather in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
Poppies sway in the breezy weather in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif. The record rainfall in California has resulted in a super bloom: acres of fields with blooming flowers. Thousands of people daily make the trek to north east Los Angeles County where poppies have bloomed and colored fields and hillsides bright orange.
A family walks through a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif.
A family walks through a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif.
A couple take a selfie in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif., in northern Los Angeles County.
A couple take a selfie in a field of poppies near Lancaster, Calif., in northern Los Angeles County.
April 11, 2023: A woman holds on while ziplining over blooming wildflowers at Skull Canyon Ziplines in Corona, California. - People are flocking to California state parks for a glimpse of a spectacular super bloom following a historically wet winter.
April 11, 2023: A woman holds on while ziplining over blooming wildflowers at Skull Canyon Ziplines in Corona, California. - People are flocking to California state parks for a glimpse of a spectacular super bloom following a historically wet winter.
Indian Canyon Drive: The desert floor is blanketed with little yellow flowers in patches stretching from Palm Springs north to Desert Hot Springs. The windmills and Mt. San Jacinto add to the beauty.
Indian Canyon Drive: The desert floor is blanketed with little yellow flowers in patches stretching from Palm Springs north to Desert Hot Springs. The windmills and Mt. San Jacinto add to the beauty.
Just north of Cathedral City the hillsides show splashes of color. The blooming flowers pictured here are mostly Desert sand verbena, but other varieties can be found too. Edom Hill is located just north of Interstate 10 off Varner Road near Thousand Palms and the wildflowers can be seen for several miles along Varner Road.
Just north of Cathedral City the hillsides show splashes of color. The blooming flowers pictured here are mostly Desert sand verbena, but other varieties can be found too. Edom Hill is located just north of Interstate 10 off Varner Road near Thousand Palms and the wildflowers can be seen for several miles along Varner Road.

Arizona is also experiencing a spectacular explosion of wildflowers this season across the desert, according to the Arizona Republic, part of USA TODAY Network. In dry years, blooms are sparse but always present. In years like this, bouquets of colorful petals burst.

Where to see California blooms

Visitors can head to a number of parks this year to snap photos of the wildflower blooms, with the help of a state website that shows where strong blooms are underway. As of April 3, four places in the San Francisco Bay Area and seven in Southern California were listed.

Bay Area

  • Mount Tamalpais State Park

  • China Camp State Park

  • Trione-Annadel State Park

  • Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Southern California

  • Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  • Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

  • Chino Hills State Park

  • Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

  • Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Are

  • Red Rock Canyon State Park

  • Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

Check the Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Hotline for bloom updates in Southern and Central California.

Where to see Arizona wildflowers

  • Bush Highway to Saguaro Lake

  • Cave Creek Regional Park

  • Peridot Mesa

  • Lake Pleasant Regional Park

  • Black Canyon Trail

  • Lost Dutchman State Park

Orange poppies grow on a hill overlooking Bartlett Lake in Tonto National Forest on April 9, 2023.
Orange poppies grow on a hill overlooking Bartlett Lake in Tonto National Forest on April 9, 2023.
Horses graze on a super bloom of Mexican poppies near Bush Highway in the Tonto National Forest on March 17, 2023.
Horses graze on a super bloom of Mexican poppies near Bush Highway in the Tonto National Forest on March 17, 2023.

Both California and Arizona provide updated wildflower reports for their state parks. Visit park websites when planning your visit for more flower updates, safety tips and more.

More coverage from USA TODAY

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. 

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where to see 'super blooms' of wildflowers in California, Arizona

Recommended Stories