Life with ArielThanks to a cold and rainy winter, California is having another superbloom in 2023. After years of sever drought, California is green and colorful again! The last superbloom was in 2019. After four years, abundant wildflowers returned to hills and meadows and water levels rose in rivers and lakes. Although the nonstopping rainfall in the past winter was inconvenient for Ariel’s daily exercise, it brought so much hope for the spring. April was the best time to appreciate the beautiful wildflowers and the resilience of nature. I went to Carrizo Plain National Monument to enjoy the superbloom and was blown away by the bright colors, aromatic fragrances, vigorous blossoms, and the energy and hope they bring.
Plan Your Visit
Carrizo Plain National Monument is in California’s Central Valley, about 250 miles from San Jose and 170 miles from Los Angeles. It is covered mostly by vast grasslands and rimmed by gentle-sloped mountains. Given its remote location, it is never too crowded. But this year is different due to the rare and beautiful superbloom.
The plain does not have gas, water, electricity, internet, cell signal, or food supplies – it does not even have any trash cans inside. Make sure you load up before entering the monument, especially if you plan to camp there.
The majority of the roads are dirt roads or loose gravel. Even the main road, Soda Lake Road, is only partially paved. I used this map for road conditions. All-wheel-drive is highly recommended. In addition, there is no parking lot. You have to be comfortable parking on the sides of the roads.
Expect dry and hot weather during spring and summer time. There are almost no shades anywhere on the plain. So wear sunscreen and stay hydrated. Pets are allowed in most areas but must be kept on leash. They are prohibited in the Painted Rock exclusion zone.
If you want to get a sense of wildflower conditions before you go, they have a website providing weekly wildflower updates.
Best Spots for Superbloom
As soon as you enter the monument, you will see flowers blooming everywhere. There are many photo-worthy spots. If you want to get to the most popular places, I recommend the following three. However, due to the popularity, they can be crowded and parking can be difficult.
Soda Lake
Soda Lake is the most well-known place in Carrizo Plain National Monument. It is normally a dry lake bed but filled with water this year. You won’t miss it if you drive along Soda Lake Road. Before you see signs of the lake, you will find yourself in heavy traffic. I recommend you find parking as soon as possible. It’s pretty chaotic at the entrance of the lake as people try to park and pedestrians cross the road randomly.
To access the lake, you can take the Soda Lake Overlook and Boardwalk trail. Although AllTrail says it is not dog friendly, there are no signs forbidding dogs at the lake. Large patches of bright yellow hillside daisies and yellow-orange fiddlenecks are blooming here. You may also find expansive waves of purple phacelia invading the yellow at places. In the distance, Temblor Ranges are dressed in yellow as well. You can also climb up the hill on the other side of Soda Lake Road to get an overlook of the lake with the surrounding flower fields.
Simmler Road
As you drive south on Soda Lake Road away from Soda Lake, it becomes much less crowded and a lighter shade of yellow starts to show up. Make a left turn to Simmler Road, a narrow dirt road. In less than one mile, the light yellow tidy tips are sweeping the grasslands on both sides of the road and joined by golden hillside daisies. The contrasting yellow was so dazzling that the sun looked dimmer. The blossoms also produced a pleasant floral fragrance in the air. It felt magical to walk in these flower fields.
7 Mile Road and Hwy 58
7 Mile Road is north to Soda Lake and also an unpaved gravel road. It connects Soda Lake Road to Hwy 58. It was a pleasant and beautiful drive the entire way. I saw nothing but vast, flat grasslands with blooming hillside daisies and fiddlenecks. I was tempted to stop every 10 minutes.
If you drive from Soda Lake Road to Hwy 58, you will get closer and closer to the Temblor Ranges which are currently carpeted by yellow hillside daisies. At the foot of the mountains, flourishing fiddlenecks and long grasses are dancing in spring breezes. It looks just like a painting. Once you get to Hwy 58, the long ranges of yellow slopes become even more vivid and stunning. I had my lunch at the intersection of 7 Mile Road and Hwy 58. The view was unparalleled.
Camping
There are two official camping sites at Carrizo Plain National Monument: Selby and KCL. Both have restrooms but no other facilities or supplies. Both are first-come first-served and have spots for tents and RVs. To get to them, you have to drive at least 5 miles on unimproved roads. These campsites can get crowded on weekends during superbloom season. Alternatively, you can also camp in the open camping areas marked on this map.
I stayed at the Selby campground for one night. I arrived around 3pm on a Saturday. The campground was already full. I had to settle in a parking spot next to the restroom which was not ideal. But at least it was safer to stay at a campground than camping in the wild. Given how crowded it was, I didn’t have a peaceful time and got waken up early in the morning by my neighbors. To me, the best part of this campsite was the Selby Campground Loop Trail. The over 1,000ft elevation was a great workout for both me and Ariel. The view overlooking the superbloom and the vast plain was stunning too. It was also a quiet trail where I was alone with nature and could clear my mind and hear the silence.
