Crazy amounts of rain up and down the state this winter mean some crazy beautiful superblooms will be popping up this spring in multiple desert locales — just don't expect anything too spectacular in Northern California.
Our usually golden hills are a vibrant green right about now as you drive through the rolling vistas of the Bay Area. And you're bound to see some spots that are dotted with patches of bright orange California poppies or maybe a few other wildflowers.
But the phenomenon of superblooms that turn entire hillsides and valleys into painterly, stunningly colorful Instagram moments is mostly reserved for the southern half of California. As SFGate explains, invasive grasses thrive in the wetter climate of NorCal, and they tend to grow faster and drown out any native wildflowers from blooming in huge quantities.
Head to Joshua Tree National Park near Palm Springs, or Walker Canyon near Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, and you'll be treated to some extraordinary sights in the next few weeks.
Below, some social media evidence of what's already out there, and a list of spots that you could turn into a weekend road-trip destination.
Some top spots for current and upcoming superblooms:
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, near Lancaster
Carrizo Plain National Monument, 80 miles east of San Luis Obispo
Highway 46, east of Paso Robles
Joshua Tree National Park, near Palm Springs
Malibu Creek State Park, Calabasas
Point Mugu State Park, Malibu
Walker Canyon, near Lake Elsinore in Riverside County