Mother Nature is hosting another incredible wildflower show in Southern California. Everyone from snowbird visitors to residents are preparing for the 2024 epic superbloom season expected to take place around the state. If you haven’t yet made up your mind about where to see the wildflowers, this article will help you start thinking about locations you want to explore, before flowers dry up and disappear.
When and Where Does the Wildflower Show Happen in California?
Superbloom events only happen every few years in certain parts of the U.S. Famous desert regions like Death Valley National Park, and less-known superbloom hotspots like Carrizo Plan National Monument are ground zero for the annual feast of the eyes.
If fall and winter have presented the right blend of rain, sunshine, wind, and heat, the result is a showstopping carpet of wildflower fields in places like:
- Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park near the Salton Sea Recreation Area
- Carrizo Plain National Monument in Santa Margarita
- Montaña de Oro State Park near San Luis Obispo
- North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Oroville
- Mount Diablo State Park in Walnut Creek
The only problem? Except for Anza-Borrego State Park, none of the major wildflower superbloom spots listed have on-site RV camping facilities. Don’t worry though. Below we share some suggestions for nearby places to stay.
California wildflower superbloom season can be surprisingly long.
The show typically lasts from mid-February in the lower elevations, all the way through mid-July in the higher elevations. Plan at least a couple of RV adventures to catch jaw-dropping wildflower blooms around the state.
Starting in mid-March, come gawk at endless views of desert sunflowers carpeting open fields in lower elevation terrain. As the climate changes and weather warms up, wildflower season rolls into mid-April. That’s when you’ll see more blooms in canyon lands like Walker Canyon, near Lake Elsinore. Flowers also blanket the rolling dunes of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. From mid-May on when the desert is scorching, head to the mountains for even more. See the landscape carpeted in gorgeous flowers such as:
Examples of superbloom flowers
Curious about what you’ll see when you travel to these showcases of wildflowers? Here are some gorgeous examples of flowers making an appearance this year.
Sand Verbena
Wild Hyacinth
Indian Paintbrush
Baby Blue Eyes
California Poppies
Desert Primrose
Lupine
Mariposa Lily
Owl’s Clover
How to Map Your Own California 2024 Superbloom Wildflowers Itinerary
There’s an easy way to create a 2024 California Superbloom map of hotspots you want to explore. Start with the Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Hotline. It’s been around since the early 1980s, with the purpose of sharing weekly reports to let folks know where to catch new wildflower hotspots. Watch for updates every Friday from March through May.
Also, check out the California Department of Parks and Recreation Wildflowers page. You should start seeing weekly updates in early March.
Places to RV Camp Near the Best Wildflower Shows
California has had a ton of rain this winter. Desert wildflower experts predict another botanical show throughout the state. That’s good, because it gives you plenty of places to create your own 2024 California Superbloom map of camping locations to explore nature’s best show. Turn to RV LIFE Campgrounds to consider great locations like these:
Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara
One of the most upscale places to stay for your wildflower watch on the Pacific Coast is Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara. Secluded and peaceful, this resort is appreciated for its gorgeous views and proximity to Santa Barbara, about 15 minutes away.
Plenty of room between sites. Very clean and well manicured park. Enclosed dog park Nice and helpful employees
@LindaL55, RV LIFE Campgrounds
Camp San Luis Obispo Military Campground
Here’s a best kept secret public campground run by the military but open to the public. Camp San Luis Obispo is bare bones but this bargain spot is tidy, basic RV campsites are a nice place to create a base camp near Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Los Osos wildflower spots.
Lake Elsinore’s Launch Pointe Recreation Destination & RV Park
With an almost perfect 5-star rating, Launch Point Recreation Destination and RV Park is a convenient Lake Elsinore public campground that gets accolades for being big-rig friendly, great for families, and with pretty views that feel miles away from busy Southern California.
The park feels very safe. There are a lot of spaces, but a lot of green. We wish there was grass by the site instead of just behind it, but since they allow for tents at sites thats probably why its not here. The facilities are very pretty. The views are great. Huge wide roads make it easy to navigate into a site with a 45ft class A.
@Rebecca_251, RV LIFE Campgrounds
Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve
The closest RV camping near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve near Los Angeles, is at The Californian RV Resort in Acton. It’s a newer, full-hookup park with paved, level sites and even a swimming pool.
Immaculate campsite! Appears brand-new with spotless sites that are level and easy to access. Great bathrooms/showers and an inviting pool area. Could use a few more trees/shade, but that will come with time. Staff was very professional, and I would highly recommend this campground when traveling from/to the Los Angeles area. Spaces are very tightly packed, much too close for us. We camped at The Californian RV Resort in a Motorhome
@BoslerCW, RV LIFE Campground Reviews
Joshua Tree National Park
The bad news about going to the Joshua Tree superbloom event is that a lot of wildflower watchers already have reservations by now. You probably won’t get to camp in the park this late in the game. But, it’s still pretty easy to find RV camping close to the best superbloom viewing locations near Joshua Tree, in nearby towns.
Desert Hot Springs has a decent amount of RV parks, including Caliente Springs Resort.
Very nice park. More and more park models, but still plenty of nice rv spots. All are back in FHU. Great internet. Gated entry. Propane delivery available. 9 hole par 3 golf. Its a huge property. We will go back! We camped at Caliente Springs Resort in a Motorhome.
@CemBam, RV LIFE Campground Reviews
Anza-Borrego State Park
You have a few choices to camp near the Anza-Borrego desert superbloom. At this time it’s likely that Anza-Borrego State Park campgrounds are all booked up. But thankfully the nearby town of Borrego Springs has great luxury RV resorts with many sites to choose from. One of the most popular is The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course.
The spaces had concrete pads including concrete patio. The park was surrounded by a beautiful nine hole golf course. Catch and release fishing is permitted in some of lakes on the course. There were no individual fire rings. There was a very nice communal area with a picnic table, a gazebo and propane patio heaters. This was located on one of the lakes that permit fishing. We camped at The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course in a Motorhome.
@Norman Hamlin, RV LIFE Campground Reviews
3 Dos and Don’ts of Wildflower Superbloom Spots
Wildflower superbloom events are rare. Treat the landscape with a “Leave No Trace” attitude that does not harm the flowers. The three biggest dos and don’ts while you visit include:
- DON’T pick the flowers. Leave them for others to enjoy.
- DO enjoy the flowers from designated paths.
- DO NOT ride a vehicle through wildflower fields.
Treat a wildflower superbloom spot with care so that others can enjoy it as much as you did.
