‘Extraordinary' Super Bloom Expected
Use interactive map to find some of the best trails for wildflower viewing in Santa Clara
CALERO COUNTY PARK: Santa Clara County’s most diverse regional park
late March, you’ll see an explosion of California gilia, narrowleaf flaxflower, and smooth cat’s ear
BRIONES REGIONAL PARK: More than 2,000 species of wildflowers grow in the SF Bay Area
dotted with Himalayan blackberry, California saxifrage, brass buttons, yellow Jonny-tuck, red-stem filaree, baby blue-eyes, and arroyo lupine
SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS: The spectacular 6,580-acre
more than 30 trails that lead to flower fields of seaside heliotrope, California buckeye, Western Virgin’s bower, and cow parsnip. For yellow and red varieties, keep an eye out for native annuals like Lindley’s blazing star, common fiddleneck, rattlesnake weed, California lotus, and mountain garland.
MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK: Over 400 species of California wildflowers bloom
Mitchell Canyon, Waterfalls of Mount Diablo Loop, or Mary Bowerman Interpretive Trail are all engulfed in a sea of super blooms.
Marvel at Bermuda buttercups, California barberries, checker lilies, and yellow oxalis as you explore the depth of the state park. You’ll also come across bush anemones, butterfly tulips, chaparral peas, crimson clovers, and arroyo lupine.
Comprehenive flower guide: Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, ID guide
North
Mount Tamalpais State Park, Marin County
Pacific hound’s tongue, common starlily and dwarf checkermallow in February and March. Later in the spring in April and May, you can spot species like the narrowleaf mule’s ear, lupine, Ithuriel’s spear, blue dicks, California poppy and Western blue-eyed grass.
China Camp State Park, Marin County
In March, you can see wildflowers like the Warrior’s plume, shooting star, milkmaids, laceleaf sanicle and sun cups on the Shoreline Trail. In April and May, you might be able to see California poppy, narrowleaf mule’s ear, yellow mariposa lily, Ithuriel’s spear and Douglas iris.
Trione-Annadel State Park, Sonoma County
In March, look for buttercup, shooting star, purple larkspur, common starlily, checker lily and Pacific hound’s tongue on Cobblestone Trail. April and May bring yellow mariposa lily, ookow, red larkspur and purple Chinese houses.
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Sonoma County
On Lower Bald Mountain Trail, in February and March, look for Pacific hound’s tongue, red maids, baby blue eyes, checker lily and more. April and May bring whispering bells (a fire follower), popcorn flowers, Diogenes’ lantern, blue dicks, lupine and California poppy.
Some Mentor-lead hikes in the East Bay:
Mount Diablo, almost daily, free with $6 parking
Edgewood Nature Preserve's Friends of nonprofit docents do then on the weekend
South Bay Rancho Cañada del Oro
Santa Clara, interactive Map
Midpen Activities listed below
Berkeley Monthly walks plus more
East Bay Herbals
Bloom Locations, self Guided
Arastadero Preserve in Palo Alto
Filoli Gardens
Point Reyes National Seashore
Berkeley Hills
Mount Davidson
Russian Ridge Preserve
SF
Balboa Natural Area
Bernal Hill
Corona Heights
Grandview Park
Tank Hill
John McLaren Park
Santa Clara
Stile Ranch Trail at Santa Teresa County Park
San Mateo County:
Hikes with little ones
Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park (picture above)
Albany Bulb
Little Yosemite, Sunol
Late snow: Arnold to a Sno Park, and no traffic!
Pescadero - Año Nuevo Elephant Seals Hike - guided walks - This hike was way easier than I expected. 80% is flat packed sand, and 20% is soft sand dunes. The docents were excellent and there is so much to see and do! We saw deer, fawns, snowy egrets, otters and elephant seals, great docents!
Hiking adventures through mom’s small biz, Mommy & Me Hiking
Joaquin Miller for Redwoods and open exploring valleys
Tilden has the Jewel lake trail which is great for little ones, Wildcat Gorge trail
Briones has great trails, shell ridge, paso nogal and Lime Zridge are all perfect places to hike with little ones.
Lindsay Wildlife museum, pixie land, ultimate sports Connection, Aquatech and so so so many more options.
Castle Rock Regional Park is another good one for kids. The first part of it is paved and pretty flat so good for balance bikes or learning pedal bikes. In the summer you can hike or bike to a lesser-used swimming pool there.
Rock City on Mount Diablo is a fantastic place for a little climber to explore. There's an entrance fee and it'll take longer to drive there than you might expect, but it's the most unusual hiking in the East Bay in my opinion. Drive up to the summit for fantastic views.
A bit further west, Redwood Regional has some great trails that feel like you're far away from the city. The French Trail and Tres Sendas are wonderful.
Check out the EB Parks Trail Challenge booklets for lots of other ideas. Great organization, descriptions and maps: https://www.ebparks.org/trails-challenge
regularly hit up Lindsay Wildlife Preserve.
She decided she wanted to scale the hills at Hidden Lakes Park
There are usually trail maps at the Alhambra Creek Trailhead, there were some this weekend when I took my kids. The Diablo View Loop is a favorite of mine. My kids really like the labyrinth which is a fun thing to look for from this trailhead.
Waterfalls with kids
Uvas Canyon for Waterfalls, reserve ahead
Super short hike to the waterfall
Cascade Falls in Mill Valley
Hidden gems in Novato. There are 2 great waterfalls near IVC open space.
Mt Diablo waterfalls, go from three springs staging area in Clayton, another entrance near there on Regency drive in Clayton
Additional Resources
Southern Flower Bloom sites listed here
In the 2019 super bloom (and even 2020), the poppy fields at Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon Trail were so abundant that they were actually visible from space!
Borrego Palm Canyon – sheltered canyon with palm trees and many other plants.
Culp Valley – higher elevation area near the eastern park boundary along S22.
Henderson Canyon Road – highway northeast of Borrego Springs, passing good wildflower terrain close to Coyote Creek, at the foot of Coyote Mountain.
Plum Canyon – side canyon of San Felipe Creek Valley, south of CA 78.
The Flowering Plants and Ferns of Mount Diablo California, Barbara Ertter and Mary L. Bowerman, 2002
Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region, Mendocino to Monterey, 3rd edition, Linda H. Beidleman and Eugene N. Kozloff, 2014
The Jepson Manual, Vascular Plants of California, 2nd edition, edited by Bruce G. Baldwin, Douglas Goldman, David J. Keil, Robert Patterson, Thomas J. Rosatti, and Dieter Wilken, 2012
Spring Wildflowers of Henry W. Coe State Park and the Inland San Francisco Bay Area, Barry Breckling, 2008
Plants of the East Bay Parks, Glenn Keator, 1994
Mount Diablo Wildflowers booklet, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, 2006
iNaturalist.org (plus their app!)
Jepson eflora: ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/
