California Wildflower Hikes

Mt. Diablo Wildflowers, North Peak Trail

Charlie — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:52:39 +0000

I’ve lived all my life in Northern California, and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never been hiking at Mount Diablo State Park before! When I saw that the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association (MDIA) had a guided wildflower hike North Peak trail in April, I jumped at the chance. I’m glad I did! The hike was led [...]

North Table Mountain Wildflowers

Charlie — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:56:27 +0000

The North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is a unique place where it is easy to find a wide variety of beautiful flowers. There isn’t a trail, you just wander over acres of countryside that can be covered with color. It’s out in the country and takes awhile to reach, but once you get there you’ll [...]

King Mountain Wildflowers

Charlie — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:52:21 +0000

The King Mountain Open Space Preserve is a fun, accessible hike in Marin County that is a part of a cluster of interconnected parks and preserves with a wide variety of trails. The main trail is a loop around the top of the mountain where you cross through exposed hillsides as well as shaded paths. You’ll also find some nice [...]

Ring Mountain Wildflowers and Views

Charlie — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:45:25 +0000

The Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve is a small area located in Marin County, just off highway 101 next to Tiburon. The main reason to hike here are the wonderful views of the San Francisco bay, but even in this drought year we were able to find a nice variety of spring wildflowers. Note: Click on any [...]

South Yuba River State Park Buttermilk Bend Trail

Charlie — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:00:24 +0000

I’ve driven through the South Yuba River State Park on several occasions, usually to see the Bridgeport Covered Bridge. I didn’t realize that there was a wonderful wildflower hike there also. Several, in fact! We visited the park in late April 2011 to try the Buttermilk Bend Trail, and it was a wonderful hike. Special [...]

Crane Flat Wildflowers

Charlie — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:06:38 +0000

Crane Flat is a store and gas station just inside Yosemite National Park at a junction where you can either go up the Tioga Pass Road or head towards the Yosemite Valley. Adjacent to the parking lot is a meadow that can be incredibly full of flowers. People looking in can see masses of white [...]

Carlon Meadow Wildflowers

Charlie — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:00:48 +0000

Carlon Meadow is a fun wildflower area just a few miles west of the Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite Park. There is a nice stream that is popular for fishing, a small meadow, and a picnic area. This was a fun stop on the way into Yosemite Park, as you can find some flowers that you [...]

Jepson Prairie Wildflower Hike

Charlie — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:47:15 +0000

The Jepson Prairie Preserve in Solano County is a great place to see a number of rare plants, in a special environment. This is more of a “stroll” than a “hike”, but it is well worth visiting. The reserve protects one of the few remaining vernal pool habitats in California. If you have the chance [...]

Mt Tamalpais Wildflower Hike

Charlie — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 06:39:09 +0000

Mt. Tamalpais State Park in Marin County is the center point for an incredible network of trails. You can spend years trying all the options in the park and the surrounding countryside. There are great views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay from the top of the mountain (2571 ft elevation). You can find everything [...]

Carson Pass Wildflower Hike

Charlie — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:19:36 +0000

The Carson Pass area in Alpine County is the greatest summer wildflower area I know of. There are a number of different trails (see my article on Meiss Lake), each with a different set of features. The most popular hike starts at the Carson Pass Information Station and takes you through a series of wonderful wildflower gardens [...]