We decided to take a break from diligently tackling the San Francisco Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety and opted to spend a weekend experiencing this year’s super bloom. This magical phenomenon is a rare spectacle that occurs when favorable weather conditions align just right, creating a breathtaking display of nature’s beauty where the landscape is transformed into a canvas of vibrant colors and the hills and valleys are blanketed with a riot of wildflowers in every hue.
The last super bloom was in 2019, which we missed, so this year, as articles started to turn up online about another potential one, we monitored the news to determine where to go. At the last minute, we picked Carrizo Plain National Monument, located about 270 miles south of San Francisco, just west of Bakersfield. Not only were the flowers blooming, but also neither of us had ever been there (bonus).
Carrizo Plain National Monument is a hidden gem nestled in the Temblor Range of eastern San Luis Obispo County. Managed by the BLM, the plain stretches for 250,000 acres, and is home to diverse flora and fauna. Its remoteness and lack of services (there is no water, food or fuel available in the park, although we did get manage to get a signal) allows one to feel far away from civilization. We were looking forward to practicing our dispersed camping skills.
As we left Highway 101 and turned onto state road 58, we found ourselves twisting through small canyons and going past farmlands. About a third of the way, we came across a huge field of yellow daisies. It was a scenic drive and offered just a glimpse of what was to come.
By the time we arrived inside the park it was 6:30 P.M. so first priority was to find a dispersed campsite for the weekend. We headed past Selby Camp and continued up the mountain on Caliente Mountain Road, driving past several sites that were already taken. There were two other vehicles in front of us so we worried that we might not find anything but fortunately, just before the Caliente Mountain Ridge trailhead, we found a site that had views across the valley. It wasn’t the best site; several others that we passed were larger, more level and either packed dirt or grass. However, under the circumstances we felt lucky to have gotten a spot and it worked out just fine. We spent the rest of the evening setting up camp, cooking dinner and watching the night sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Lyrids (no luck there).
We woke up to stunning vistas of the super bloom and in the light, could properly appreciate our surroundings. In the mountains to the west of the valley floor, green was interspersed with swaths of yellow and dashes of orange. It looked like something out of a painting.
After breakfast we drove farther along Caliente Mountain Road to find out what laid beyond us. It was absolutely stunning. Wildflowers, in different colors, blazed across the hills. Every few minutes we stopped to take photos, not believing our eyes.
On top of that, it was a fun off road drive, especially past the communications tower (FAA site) where we made a short loop that found us going through deep ruts and over a wash out which had us off camber to get around (and thinking we’d roll down the hill). Our Defender, which doesn’t get much off road action, was probably like, “Finally!”
That afternoon we decided to hike the Caliente Mountain Ridge trail. It was a short walk to the trailhead for us. According to the BLM website the trail runs for 7 miles and we knew we wouldn’t have time to do the whole thing so we allotted ourselves 4 hours – 2 in and 2 out. In the end we managed a 10-mile hike, going about an hour past the tower. There was no shade on the trail and I can see how the mountain got its name. Although we had cool breezes blowing the entire time, it’s still not the place I’d want to find myself in the summer.
From the trail we could see the valley floor across to the Temblor Range. Everything was covered in wildflowers. On our side, we hiked past fields of purple and yellow and could see the hills we had driven past in the morning.
Four hours later we returned to camp, tired but happy to have seen such amazing scenery. It was going to be an early night for us.
The next morning we found that our off roading adventure from the day before had left us with a flat! (We later learned that it was a sidewall puncture.) Nothing like starting the day by changing a tire. Looking at it positively, it was our first time doing this on the Defender so it was as good a time as any to learn.
Refueled after a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, sausage and leftover pancakes, we packed everything up and made our way down the mountain. It was only 10:00 A.M. I couldn’t believe we had changed a flat, made and ate breakfast, and tore down camp all before noon.
On our way down the mountain we passed patches of multi-colored slopes and once down on the valley floor, saw fields of flowers in all directions. We drove north along Soda Lake Road, stopping to take in the blooms lining the lake. Leaving the park, however, didn’t mean leaving the flowers behind. All along Soda Lake Road to state road 58, fields were awash in color. It was unreal and absolutely breathtaking to see nature in full bloom.
Witnessing the super bloom at Carrizo National Monument felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The opportunity to see the hills and valleys of the monument come alive with a vibrant carpet of wildflowers was truly awe-inspiring and left me with a profound appreciation for the splendor of the natural world. Will there be another one next year?
Coda
This trip was really special and allowed us to combine some of our favorite activities: hiking, camping and nature viewing. We had the unparalleled experience of sleeping amidst the wildflowers and waking up to the stunning vistas of the super bloom. These are some of the flowers we saw:
Who knows if we’ll get to do it again, climate change is making things so unpredictable, but if there’s another one, we will be there.
Additional Info
- The Wildflower Hotline provides updates every Friday during wildflower season on where to see the flowers. Gorgeous photos to boot!
- Dispersed camping is allowed in designated areas along the ridges and slopes. This is a really helpful BLM map to get the lay of the land.
- There are no services in the park. Make sure you have enough gas in your tank to get you in and out.