North of Los Angeles, past the LA national park, is a lengthy valley that stretches across the northern state of California. In this valley is the city of Lancaster and if you travel west of this city you’ll find yourself between winding roads and hills. While it will seem like there’s nothing around, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when the hills clear and all around you are vibrant flowers extending past the horizon.
It’s at this point you’ll find yourself in the California State Poppy reserve, a secret treasure to those who wish to see something magical, something you would believe can only be seen in movies.
The reserve sits in Antelope Valley near Lancaster and houses the state’s symbolic flower, the poppy. Poppies are very particular about the times they grow, and usually only bloom in mass after the rainy seasons of early spring, so the best time to go experience these fields is between January and April after a rainstorm. Unfortunately, this has been problematic for the past few years as California has gone through a bit of a drought, starving the fields of any water and making the flowers wither, but this recent year has had a surplus of rain, causing the fields of poppy’s to bloom like never before!
The mystical poppy flowers flow like a lake of orange in the wind and the air is filled with the sweet aroma of flowers. Be wary though as where there are flowers, there is pollen, and there is a lot of pollen flowing through the air here. Take precautions such as allergy medication and face masks if you are easily agitated by pollen. Even us, despite not having allergies, had a bit of an agitation in our eyes from all the pollen blowing in the wind.
there are many branching paths through the fields and it is recommended to stay on the pathways. Too many people have stomped through the fields and ruined the precious sight for others who come to explore, so make sure if you do visit, you treat the fields with the respect they deserve, especially since their beauty is on display specifically for your eyes to experience.
It was an experience I’ll definitely never forget, and I will always cherish the time i spent visiting this seasons poppy bloom, since I don’t think I’ll ever get to experience something like this again. Despite the itchy eyes and the lengthy drive, it made the whole experience worth it to be able to walk through such a majestic place, filled with sights and smells only a massive field of flowers could bring.
