The rain has been pouring in San Diego, creating a lot of greenery and likely an early arrival of gorgeous spring blooms. The Spring Equinox is just around the corner and is always an exciting time of beauty and rebirth here in the sunniest city in the nation, so to get you prepped for our favorite season of the year in our favorite city, here are 5 of the best places to see spring blooms and wildflowers in San Diego. And remember, please don’t pick the wildflowers.
1. Palos Verde Peninsula
Palos Verde Peninsula is 2 hours away from San Diego and offers beautiful views year-round with wildflowers blooming at their peak in March and April. Palos Verde Peninsula is a 2-mile trek through George F. Canyon Preserve, perfect for all ages with gorgeous cliffside views of the ocean behind a stunning foreground of flowers.
2. Carlsbad Flower Fields
North San Diego County has one of the most beautiful displays of wildflowers and has become even more popular ever since Lake Elisnore closed to the public during the peak of its spring blooms. Carlsbad Flower Fields doesn’t have wildflowers specifically but they offer a coordinated effort in growing beautiful spring blooms year after year at the Carlsbad farm. The blooms are at their peak for 6-8 weeks usually and the Flower Fields open on March 1st. Check out our guide above and remember that a reservation is required.
3. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is 2 hours away from San Diego which makes it a great weekend getaway. The spring season for wildflowers varies depending on the weather but there’s been so much rain already this winter that we’re anticipating an early arrival. Hike through the state park and enjoy the 92 different plant families, 346 genera and hundreds of flowering species.
4. Japanese Friendship Garden
Right in our own backyard is the Japanese Friendship Garden, where there is a gorgeous Japanese-style botanical garden you can walk through during the beautiful spring weather. They put on exhibits which mixes art, heritage, and nature and one of our favorite events is their Cherry Blossom Festival that starts at beginning of March from the 7th to the 10th where you can participate in different events and take in the beautiful Cherry Blossom season.
5. Diamond Valley Lake Trail
Diamond Valley Lake has a stunning wildflower hiking trail that blooms through the spring in a gorgeous display. The trail is in Hemet which is a 2.1 round trail that’s best to hike from February to May and is only a hour and a half away from San Diego. During the spring months, the trails erupt into a yellow, red, and orange lake of wildflowers ranging from California poppies, goldfields, and mustard blooms. The hike is perfect for all ages, parking costs $11, and there’s a hiking fee of $4 for stunning lake and wildflower views.
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