Antelope Valley California Poppy State Reserve (no Reservations - Video Gallery Downloaded) For current wildflower information, please contact the park at 661-724-1180 (recorded message). The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has already peaked for the flower bloom this year. As of April 19, 2005, we are still seeing a nice bloom only on the North Loop Poppy Trail with goldfields, owlsclover, lupines, and some poppies. This condition will not last long however, as we are having very dry conditions. The visitor center will remain open through April 24th. For the latest information and to talk to a person call 661-942-0662 Mondays through Saturdays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The season of 2005 was an interesting one where we could never keep up with the flower bloom. The park received 25 inches of rain last winter but for some reason the Poppy bloom was patchy and not as spectacular as antipicated. Instead, we saw the grasses get very tall and other flowers such as goldfields provided much of the show. We never can really predict what nature will give us from year to year. Park staff are continuing with studying the Poppy Reserve and new information is being discovered. Rattlesnake sightings have been very common this season, so please stay on trails. The park is open everyday sunrise to sunset even when Poppies are not blooming. The visitor center is generally closed except for the flower season but the park is a wonderful place to hike and explore on its 7 miles of trails. While visiting the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, we suggest you visit the Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park. It is located 5 miles west of the Poppy Reserve. Here you will see a native Joshua Tree and Juniper Tree woodland, some of the few left on the westside of the Antelope Valley. There is a short nature trail located at the park that offers information about the woodland. Watch for the sign on Lancaster Road. Wildflowers This 1,745 acre State Reserve, nestled in the Antelope Buttes 15 miles west of Lancaster, California, is located on California's most consistent poppy-bearing land. Other wildflowers: owl's clover, lupine, goldfield, cream cups, and coreopsis, to name a few, share the desert grassland to produce a mosaic of color and fragrance each spring. As unpredictable as nature - the intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies yearly. Seven miles of trails, including a paved section for wheelchair access, wind gently through the wildflower fields. The broad views of this landscape provide eyefuls of brilliant wildflower colors. Whether you most enjoy expansive fields of wildflower colors and fragrance or the close-up study of a single flower, this is the place to visit. Location - Directions The Reserve is located 15 miles west of Lancaster on Avenue I. Take the Avenue I off ramp from the 14 Freeway, head west 15 miles to the Poppy Reserve. http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?zoom=7&size=big&latlongtype=decimal&latitude=34.72747&longitude=-118.39457 More about the Reserve The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is located in the western Antelope Valley at an elevation ranging from 2600--3000 feet. It is the high desert. Pronghorn grazed long before then, until the railroad of the 1880’s. California Poppies grow best where there is some disturbance. This can be man made by various means: such as disking by farming practices or natural, such as sheep or pronghorn grazing/walking or fire. Until the early 1970's Sheep once grazed the buttes in the western Antelope Valley. Park management has excluded sheep from grazing the hillsides. California State Parks does not water to stimulate the flowers, but has a prescribed burn program that uses fire as a natural tool to manage grassland vegetation. Fire has been a part of the management practices for the Poppy Reserve since 1994. Prescribed burning has decreased the exotic species, reduced the ground cover and litter, permitted the native species of wildflowers to grow and bloom better. The reserve is a natural area, where only DAY USE (hiking and picnicking) is allowed. PLEASE - NO Dogs! Accessible Features (Opens a window to a new site) Park Features Activities Exhibits and Programs Guided Tours Hiking Trails Nature Trails Facilities Parking Picnic Areas Restrooms Visitor Center Other Historical Additional Information Russ Christoff Fifteen miles west of Lancaster, I found the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. This area is dedicated to preserving over 1,700 acres of open space, and the protection of California's state flower, the California Poppy. During the months of March, April and May, visitors flock to this area to view the intensely orange blossoms found here, in what is considered to be the most consistent Poppy bearing land in California. I visited on Easter weekend, and I wasn't alone. A good rainfall early in the month had produced conditions that were favorable. Poppies and other spring wildflowers were blooming in abundance. Wildflower lovers were out in droves and hiking the reserve's seven miles of trails. Even the cold winds that whipped across the hills did not deter them. The poppies were doing their best to cooperate with anxious photographers who were trying to get the perfect shot. The California Poppy is a fragile spring flower and is very sensitive to cold temperatures, rainfall and light. On cold windy days their blossoms close for protection from the elements. In some years, when conditions are unfavorable, wildflower bloom will vary. If you plan to visit the reserve, call ahead to find out if they're flowering. The Poppy Reserve at Antelope Valley is also home to other spring wildflowers. That weekend I saw Owl's Clover, Lupine and Goldfields growing side by side with Poppies. These wildflowers like the California Poppies are protected by law so that they may be enjoyed by all who visit. At the visitor’s center, people were signing up for guided tours of the area. Named for conservationist and artist Jane Pinheiro, the center contains displays and a video that informs the public about the flowers found in the park, and the importance of preserving unspoiled California open spaces, like this one.