All of the rain that Southern California received in 2019, helped provide a fantastic wildflower super bloom. I visited Anza Borrego (on a weekday) to check out the flowers. While I absolutely LOVED it, there are some tips that I wish I’d known before going.
1. Plan on leaving early. It is hot in the desert and for some reason, the same temperature feels warmer when out in this arid climate. This is especially true if you plan on hiking. It is nice to get started before it gets too hot.
2. Bring extra water. I am thankful for the signs at the visitor center telling us to bring water. This is not a clever marketing ploy. It is vital to prevent dehydration.
3. Bring food and snacks. There were fewer options for food than I anticipated and a few food establishments closed in the early afternoon for a siesta.
4. Buy the wildflower pamphlet at the visitor center. We were going to get the book, but we were so glad that we bought the pamphlet instead. It helped us identify most of the flowers that we saw
5. Go to the visitor center in the strip mall for information. There are two visitors centers. The main one has a beautiful view and flowers around it to look at, but parking can be difficult to come by and volunteers, while nice, are all very busy helping everyone.
There are two visitors centers. The main one has a beautiful view and flowers around it to look at, but parking can be difficult to come by and volunteers, while nice, are all very busy helping everyone.
I suggest that you visit the State Park Store run by the Anza Borrego Foundation. It has similar items for sale and I felt that the volunteers were able to give us info tailored more to our needs. Plus, parking was less of an issue.
200 Palm Canyon Drive (at the west end) Borrego Springs, CA 92004 760-767-4205
6. Get the map of the wildflowers The Anza Borrego foundation updates this weekly during desert wildflower bloom: https://theabf.org/explore-anza-borrego/wildflowers-super-bloom/ Many of the plants you can drive to, park your car on the side of the road, and view.
Resources
In March, April, or May, you can call 818-768-1802, extension 7 to hear the latest info on what wildflowers are blooming in California that week.
Calflora has an extensive database where you can search and identify plants in California (native or otherwise)