A Sea Of Orange

A Drive To Southern California’s Poppy Super-Bloom 

You often hear the phrase, “it’s not about the destination, rather, it’s the journey there that matters most.” In this case it really was the destination that mattered most. I just wasn’t prepared for the pure beauty waiting for us ahead. To the point, you simply have to experience California’s super-bloom yourself, in person to really understand how extensive, how surreal, and just how beautiful it is. That being said, the drive there isn’t bad either if you take the right roads at the right times. 

Getting there: Heading North on I5 from LA, make your way to San Francisquito Canyon Rd, where the drive officially starts in my mind. To get there take the Magic Mountain Pkwy exit (heading east), then left on McBean Pkwy till it ends. Once you get to Copper Hill Dr, turn right. At the very next light turn left onto San Francisquito Canyon Rd. Everything that follows is a wonderful stroll through the mountains over to the Antelope Valley. Continue till you reach Elizabeth Lake Rd, turn left. Continue still, and you’ll be greeted by neon orange as far as the eyes can see. 

San Francisquito Canyon is an honest to goodness little gem of a road that evolves progressively from start to finish. The beginning reminds of sections from Angeles Crest Highway, but with less cliffs and less blind corners. It feels safer, less edgy, so it’s very easy to get into a good flow on this road. This is a perfect place for group drives as its hard to get lost, and it’s more of a five or six tenths road anyway. There are a few moments where you find yourself smiling and saying something like, “oh that was nice.” It’s the type of road that makes you feel like a real suave driver. Just make sure you embark on this journey early morning so that you can skip any traffic, whilst beating the scorching heat as well.

There is a lot to take in. The canyon is picturesque with sections of small undulating crests. You will pass small neighborhoods with large trees that cover the road completely. Naturally you’ll want to slow down a bit, and cruise through, an ebb and flow of sorts. There are sections where, lets say, “healthy” exhaust notes can reverberate from the canyon around you, and if you’re as childish as I am, you’ll make the necessary shifts ensuring the correct amount of noise reaches your ears.

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The last section is a little quicker. You’ll find longer sections of road coming out of the canyon into rolling hills. This is where you start seeing hints of neon orange. The poppies making their appearance in the back yards of beautiful estate homes. The experience of viewing velvety green hills with bright patches of poppies whilst driving an incredible piece of road is admittedly a bit of task. Sensory overload begins to take effect. 

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Once you reach Antelope Valley it’s pretty hard to miss the poppy reserve. I would explain where to go but honestly, there are massive plaines of them scattered all over the Valley, you can pick any direction and a road will eventually lead you to them. There is however a designated poppy reserve location, but it isn’t open every day which is fine considering the vast overgrowth of the flowers. You can simply park on the side of a road and view huge fields of orange just feet in front of you. 

Note: It is very important that when viewing the poppies, to not pick or destroy any flowers. 

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This place has a little bit of magic to it. A slight breeze can wash over the poppies creating a mesmerizing wave like effect, hence the “sea of orange.” There isn’t anything particularly exciting about Antelope Valley, its mostly dry and dusty, but once a year from March-May the poppy super-bloom transforms the barren desert into a gorgeous orange oasis. being so close to the actual flowers, then looking around to see the entire area covered in the same vibrant color is a bit mind boggling. you’ll find yourself looking around quite a bit. 

In contrast to the (very warm) poppy landscaped desert floor, the snowy peaks of Wrightwood can be seen miles away making for an incredible juxtaposition of scenery. Having your own super-bloom moment is wonderfully fleeting, but it’s sure to leave a lasting impression. There’s little wonder such a bold and vibrant little thing was chosen as the official state flower. Click the link below to find out more information about visiting the poppies.