Poppies in Lancaster 2019!

On Easter we think of flowers, and one of the best places to see them, and particularly poppies, is in Lancaster and it is right now. If you have gone in previous years, multiply what you remember by three and then maybe you’ll have a picture of what the fields look like at this moment near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. An ocean of orange is what you can expect, sprinkled with yellow, purple, and pink. It’s a glorious view.

My recommendations:

The Reserve and surrounding areas are very popular. In the afternoons there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. Start early. This is less than two hours away from L.A., so get up and go before the rest.
The Reserve’s parking fills up easily, but you can park just about anywhere and enjoy the flowers just the same, and for free.
If the place is packed by the time you get there, continue driving passed the Reserve. There are plenty of fields where you can enjoy the colors, the smells, and take great pictures.
Please don’t step on the flowers! I even saw people laying down flat over them to get a unique picture. Really folks?
The rains were good for the poppies but they were also good to many other types of flowers. Drive around Lancaster, particularly southeast of Edwards Air Force Base, where the paved roads end. It turns into open fields of yellow, a blanketed desert that you haven’t seen before!