Stunning superbloom this week! Bumpy road starting south and driving by soda lake road. — absolutely worth the time ( ~1 hour). Riotous colorFull review by Catherine F
Apr 25, 2023
We live in the bay area and went to the Carrizo Plain yesterday to view the wildflower super bloom. It was stunning. I read extensively online but there were no clear directions on how to best acce…Full review by mikegeijin
Apr 16, 2023
Such a beautiful view with wild flowers spread on hills! road are rough, allocate extra time tour the area.Full review by eric_qu
Hi, I'm going to visit there next week. Do you have any recommend to explore there in a day? what road or hike should I take. Thanks a lot.
A:
The best thing for exploring the monument during flower season is to slowly drive through (you kind of have to on the dirt roads) and stop where you like to view the flowers. Don't park on …
The best thing for exploring the monument during flower season is to slowly drive through (you kind of have to on the dirt roads) and stop where you like to view the flowers. Don't park on the main road, but there are plenty of side roads to pull off on and see the flowers. Look where others are parking If it isn't raining, you don't need a four wheel drive, but a higher clearance vehicle might be better for the side roads. I would not take an RV on the side roads, as you are a long way from any service if you get stuck. However, there are a couple of campgrounds that are RV accessible, but they are first come, first serve and are probably full at this time of the year. No water or power hookups are available. Make sure you tank up on gas in Lost Hills, Taft or Maricopa. The guy in front of me at the visitor center told the ranger he only had ten miles worth of gas left. The ranger told him that the nearest gas was 50 miles away and that he should call AAA. Bring water, as there is none in the monument. Keep in mind that the rangers are very busy now with so many visitors and do not demand service. Please be respectful and stay on the established trails. Do not pick the flowers and minimize your impact so this treasure is here for our children. Please do not litter. Make sure you understand how the roads run and where they go. We had to help a couple that were determined to drive the wrong way out into the netherlands. Not a place to go if you have a bad sense of direction or can't read maps. There are no long hiking trails the valley, but there is one up on Caliente Ridge, but no flowers are along it. There is a short (1.75 mile round trip) jaunt off to a large patch of azure flowers that looks like a lake (you will see it from the distance). You can also walk the side roads for many miles and see much more. That said, the side roads are used for vehicles and you may occasionally be left in the dust by a passing car. This is not a place to go with strict timetable. It's much better to just stop when you see something you want to look at and enjoy the moment. It is also a place that you need to be prepared if something goes wrong. Bring extra water and food. Cell service is spotty, but available in some places. Don't drive off the main road if you not familiar with travelling on unimproved dirt roads (just old ranching roads). We free camped in the south end of the monument off the main road. We just found a flat spot on a side road and pulled into it. We were out of sight of the main road. It had been used as a camp before. You will need to bring food and water (we had several gallons for an overnight) . There is no wood to burn, so bring a stove. Campfires are just messy and could be a problem. Expect to hear coyotes at night and see other wildlife if you are away from other people. It was 68 degrees during the day, but froze overnight. Be ready for the cold, even in blooming season.
Is there a campground for small rv's - or do you need a 4 wheel drive to get to them
A:
There are two campgrounds both off Soda Lake Rd. Both accessible with 2wd. First come. first served. I pulled a 17' travel trailer into the one nearest the visitor center two years ago.
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