06/10/08

Be dazzled by a sea of gloriously colored wildflowers at California's most consistent poppy-bearing plot.

by Contributor

The Scene
Imagine a fiery field of golden blooms blanketing a hillside. This is as close as it gets to a Technicolor heaven in Southern California. Located in the Antelope Buttes, the 1,745-acre preserve was established to protect various wildflower species, including cream cups, owl's clovers, goldfields and lupines. But the abundant poppies always take center stage.

The Facts
Poppies grow best where there is some disturbance to the land, such as fire and animal grazing. While park management doesn't water the flowers, they do have to keep sheep from overgrazing the hillsides. The reserve features several loop trails--one is partially wheelchair accessible. The best path for viewing the poppies is the North and South Poppy Loop, a combined two-mile walk that should take about one hour to finish.