The blooming almond orchards in Woodland.

After the winter comes the spring, and one of the most remarkable sights in the springtime are the colorful blooming flowers.

We are so lucky in California because there are several places to see these beauties bloom. The flowers across the state of California begin sprouting up in late February and can last until the heat of summer dries them out.

Fresh blossoms can be found in fields and others are in tree orchards. Some of these places occur naturally in the wild, and others are cultivated on farms. Either way, vibrant flowers looks stunning both in person and on camera. I know all you Instagrammers are looking for that perfect shot!

Super blooms happen in the wild and they don't occur every year - they tend to come in cycles. If you're lucky enough to be in a year with super blooms, make sure to take advantage of the timing and get out there to photograph ASAP.

Flower Fields & Orchards in Northern California

Half Moon Bay, CA

In my hometown of Half Moon Bay there’s multiple places where you’ll find both wild flowers and farms. The flowers you’ll find in Half Moon Bay include sunflowers, yellow canola flowers, orange poppies, yellow mustard flowers, wild oxalis flowers (in yellow and purple), calendula flowers and flowering plum and pear trees.

Coastal Trail - Along the coastal trail near Poplar Beach you’ll find several large open fields. Often times in the spring you’ll see wildflowers blooming.

Montara State Beach - Along the cliffs above Montara State Beach you’ll see white and purple wild agapanthus flowers growing. I photographed them in this fall style blog post.

Highway 1 near the Ritz Carlton - Last year there was a major super bloom of yellow Canola flowers in a field near the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Just continue on Highway 1 heading south from the Ritz Carlton and start looking for blooming fields.

Sunflower Farm - In September the Andreotti Farm located at 800 Cabrillo Hwy N opens its doors to the public for the seasonal sunflower fields. These sunflowers are “u-pick” meaning you can actually cut a bouquet for yourself!

James Johnston House - The fields surrounding this historical home are often blooming with vibrant yellow flowers in the spring. Located at 110 Higgins Canyon Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.

Highway 92 Flower Nurseries - If you’re driving into Half Moon Bay from Highway 280 you’ll can opt to take Highway 92 into town. There’s several flower nurseries along the highway an many great “flower-themed” photo opportunities. In the autumn season all these farms become popular pumpkin patches.

Strawberry Picking in Davenport

Along the Pacific Coast Highway in NorCal you’ll find the little town of Davenport and the Swanton Berry Farm. This is one of the few farms that allows you to come on the property and pick your own berries. I know a strawberry field is not technically a flower field, but in my mind it’s just as wonderful!

Post Street Farm in Santa Cruz

This urban farm is centrally located in the city of Santa Cruz and it grows all kinds of seasonal produce and flowers. In the spring they have a cutting garden for dahlia flowers, pumpkins for Halloween and Christmas trees during the holidays.

YOLO County, CA

Almond Blossoms in Woodland - One of our most popular blog posts is our guide to finding the best orchards with blooming almond flowers. The blooms can be at their peak as early mid-February and or as late as mid-March.

Sunflower Fields - You’ll find these golden beauties scattered throughout the small rural towns of Woodland, Winters, and Dixon in Yolo County. These tend to be more summer flowers rather spring, with their peak around July. Yolo County summers are very hot and by August the heat has usually dried them out.

Orange California Poppies - Last year in Winters there was a super bloom of bright orange poppies, specifically around the tiny town of Citrona at the intersection of Country Road 26 and Country Road 89.

Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden

On the very edge of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco you’ll find a little piece of Holland. The Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden has colorful rows of blooming tulips and a historic Dutch windmill.

Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco

The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is a double whammy for flower lovers because you’ll find colorful rows of flowers outside in the garden and a tropical oasis with exotic flowers inside the atrium.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is beautiful any time of year, but it’s especially magical in the spring time. The landscape is lush and green with colorful wildflowers sprinkled throughout the valley. We took our dog Holly to Yosemite a few years ago and we saw fields filled with blooming wild flowers.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a favorite amongst flower lovers for two reasons - its deep rich purple-ish red hue and showstopping presentation. Bougainvillea tends to bloom in dramatic and dense clusters, and climbs walls and structures like a vine. The result is often stunning arches which make for beautiful portrait photography.

Bougainvillea grows all over the state, you can find it in both NorCal and SoCal. It’s commonly used to adorn houses in San Francisco and Los Angeles. You can see an example of bougainvillea in full-bloom in my CA Road Trip Guide, it’s the photo of the flowers next to the berries at the Farmer’s Market.

Lavender Fields in Sebastopol

Monte-Bellaria is a stunning lavender farm in Sonoma County. They are open to the public on weekends beginning in mid April - December. You can find them located at 3518 Bloomfield Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Blooming Magnolia Trees in Sacramento

The gardens surrounding the state capital building in Sacramento have beautiful magnolia trees which begin blooming in late February. This is a popular spot for photographers to capture spring-themed family portraits. There’s also a famous rose garden and a plethora of trees planted throughout the property.

Wild Flowers in Central California

Calla Lily Valley in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Garrapata Trail is a popular photography haven for shutterbugs because of the picturesque coastal views and the wild growing calla lilies. The Calla Lilly Valley is located right off Highway 1 in the Big Sur area. The nearest beach is Garrapata Beach which you can type into your Google Maps GPS.

See our stay at Hofsas Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea!

The Gardens at Hearst Castle

One of the most beautiful properties in Central California is Hearst Castle, which is really more of an enormous mansion than a true castle. This once private residence is now open to the public for tours, and the gardens will not disappoint.

Beautiful Flower Fields in Southern California

Carlsbad Flower Fields

Of all the California flower fields, probably the most famous is the one in Carlsbad. The farm is enormous and the pristinely planted flower fields stretch as far as the eye can see. The specific flowers planted are buttercup ranunculus and they are so photogenic and stunning in person.

See our visit to the Carlsbad Flower Fields!

Joshua Tree Desert Flowers

If true magic ever existed on earth, I feel like it would live in Joshua Tree. Alongside the famous Joshua Trees you’ll find all kinds of desert flowers in both the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert.

My complete guide to Joshua Tree goes into great detail on where to find some of the most beautiful hidden gems inside the park.

Walker Canyon Poppy Fields in Lake Elsinore

Last spring we were road tripping from San Diego to Sacramento and all of a sudden the traffic came to halt in Lake Elsinore and at first we couldn’t figure out why. As the cars slowly rolled along we discovered that the super bloom of poppies had attracted a super huge crowd of visitors.

The trailhead for this ecological reserve is located at 26900 Walker Canyon Road, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. The poppies tend to be blooming around March and April.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Across the 500 miles that make up Anza-Borrego Desert State Park you’ll find yellow, orange and purple wildflowers. In fact, Anza-Borrego Desert is the largest state park in California and is comprised of twelve wilderness areas.

Wildflower season in Anza-Borrego runs from February - April and the three most commonly visited areas of the park are Borrego Springs, Blair Valley and Split Mountain. The entrance to the park is at 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs CA 92004.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can actually book a private photography tour from San Diego to Anza Borrego State Park!

Yellow Coreopsis Flowers in Malibu

Along the Point Dume Trail in Malibu you’ll find bright yellow blooming wildflowers along the shore. You can walk the sandy beach trail that leads up to a bluff overlook with beautiful ocean views.

You can explore all kinds of trails on bicycles in Malibu with a guided bike tour from Viator.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster

The wildflower season in Antelope Valley runs from late February - May with an ever-changing landscape because of the diverse species of flowers.

This beautiful park boasts 8 miles of trails, so plenty of opportunities to spot these floral beauties. On their official website you can get updates on the blooms and there’s even a live webcam to see the blooming conditions.