Nature enthusiasts looking for a vibrant display of wildflowers this spring don’t necessarily have to travel to Southern California to experience extraordinary blooms similar to those captured by space satellites over Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument recently.
Local naturalists are bracing for an explosion of wildflowers along the Midpeninsula that could provide some of the most breathtaking views in years thanks to the above-average rain this season.
“After the cool, wet winter, this season’s early spring has all the right elements for a strong and lengthy wildflower season,” said Amanda Mills, natural-resource specialist for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which oversees more than 63,000 acres of open space in the Bay Area and is hosting wildflower walks and outdoor activities at various preserves through spring.
Ms. Mills said Midpeninsula parks tend to see steady blooms from mid-April to early June. An array of buttercups, red maids, hound’s tongue, shooting star, baby blue eyes, purple sanicle and popcorn flowers already line the trails, and it’s just the beginning of the season.
Russian Ridge in Redwood City and Rancho San Antonio in Los Altos are two of the most popular areas for viewing wildflowers, according to Ms. Mills. Edgewood Park also puts on a showy display.
If hikers are lucky, they might see mule deer, coyotes, various birds and even a bobcat, she said.
“The trails offer beautiful views and a great way to get out of the hustle and bustle,” Ms. Mills said. “It’s a healthy activity both mentally and physically — it brings stress levels down.”
Another wildflower-viewing escape to explore is Stanford’s 1.5-mile Matadero Creek Trail or the grasslands and riparian corridor at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, which is friendly to bikers and beginner and intermediate hikers, said Kathleen Jones, a park ranger for the city of Palo Alto, which oversees four preserves that span from the bay to the foothills.
“Everything changes when you get outside. You get a chance to slow down and breathe,” Ms. Jones said. “It is easy to get caught up in the details of daily life, but simply going outside can fix that … you feel renewed, like spring is supposed to do.”
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