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In late February and early March, wildflowers begin to peep out on the low-lying coast, deserts and Central Valley. Over time, the blooms make an ascent up the hills, and eventually into the mountains by summer.

Here are a few parks where you can catch some of the first peak flowers of the season:
And with the soggy winter, you can count on an added treat: a number of Sierra-fed waterfalls.

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Originally Posted by KathyWdrf (Post 28071106)

I might stop at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR soon. It is a little bit off the I-5 route between NorCal and SoCal (near Lancaster and Palmdale).

Originally Posted by TWA884 (Post 28071890)

I wouldn't quite characterize it as being "a little bit off the I-5..."

It is about a half hour drive from I-5 via the Lancaster Freeway (SR138) or an hour via the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR14). This would be my recommended route if one were to take this detour.

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But a "super bloom" is a term for when a mass amount of desert plants bloom at one time. In California, that happens about once in a decade in a given area. It has been occurring less frequently with the drought. Last year, the right amount of rainfall and warm temperatures produced carpets of flowers in Death Valley. So far this year, the natural show has been concentrated in the 1,000-square-mile Anza Borrego State Park that abuts Borrego Springs. It is expected to roll along through May, with different species blooming at different elevations and in different areas of the park. Anza Borrego is California's largest state park with hundreds of species of plants, including desert lilies, blazing stars and the flaming tall, spiny Ocotillo.

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The blooms are attracting hungry sphinx moth caterpillars that munch through acres. The caterpillars in turn are attracting droves of Swainson hawks on their annual 6,000-mile (9,656-kilometer) migration from Argentina. "It's an amazing burst in the cycle of life in the desert that has come because of a freakish event like a super bloom," Haddock said. "It's exciting. This is going to be so huge for our economy."

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This year's display has been especially stunning, experts say. The region received 6½ inches (165 millimeters) of rain from December to February, followed by almost two weeks of 90-degree temperatures, setting the conditions for the super bloom. Five years of drought made the seeds ready to pop.

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