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Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

The Visitor Center and entrance Kiosk are closed for the season.
The Reserve will remain open to visitors on a self pay/self guided basis.


An accurate bloom prediction is still difficult at this time due to the late rains this year and consequential late start to poppy plant germination. Several wildflower species have already started blooming, but there has been only a moderate number of poppy plants seen so far and their flower buds are just beginning to form. The possibility of late frosts and early heat waves also make any predictions tentative, but the forecasts of more rain will likely have a positive impact.

Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat. The duration and intensity of colors and scents vary from year to year.
Although the wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through mid-May, the park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Fall is also a pleasant time to visit, as the days are normally warm with milder winds.

Eight miles of trails through the gentle rolling hills, including a paved section for wheelchair access, make the park a wonderful place to hike and explore any season. Get away from the city and relax in the quietude of the countryside, with only the birds singing and hawks gliding silently overhead. Benches located along the trails make good places to sit quietly and watch for wildlife, such as singing meadow larks, lizards zipping across the trail, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes. If you're lucky, you may spot a coyote or bobcat. Numerous burrows around the trails may house mice, gophers, kangaroo rats, beetles, scorpions, or others.

Our tentative predictions about next spring's bloom will be posted in February. There are many conditions that combine to affect the wildlfower bloom, and the exact formulas are still not fully understood.

Park Hours:
Sunrise to Sunset.


For in depth information about Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve,
please visit their websiteRead the Link Disclaimer

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