Back to Carrizo Plain

The wildflower bloom at Carrizo Plain National Monument was like a haunting siren song – granted though, it didn’t require much seducing to draw me back to the place that I had visited only two weeks ago.

My friend Peter and I coordinated a two-day trip quite spontaneously – a couple of text messages and we were ready to go. We really made good use of our time! We drove in from the south on day one (my favorite approach), traversing the monument on Soda Lake. We then took Elkhorn Road from north to south (exiting via Elkhorn Grade) on the second day. The second day in particular was one continued highlight from beginning to end, since Elkhorn Road is pretty close to the foot of the Temblor Range – where the most dazzling displays of wildflowers were.

Weather was quite interesting, mostly overcast and on the second day rain was passing over the plain north and west of us. This weather of course meant that we didn’t get the most radiant colors of sunlit wildflowers, but instead, nice and even colors and very manageable contrast – conditions which I quite favor anyway.

Here are the first couple of photos, for now – I have many more and will update this post as time permits. Some of my Carrizo Plain photos are available as prints in my store, please have a look if you’re interested: Carrizo Plain Prints (link opens in a new browser tab).

Wildflower colors on the Temblor Range, seen from Elkhorn Hills, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Old water tanks at the east-facing slopes of the Elkhorn hills, looking south over Elkhorn Plain, Elkhorn Hills, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

A field of Coreopsis along Soda Lake Road, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

The golden yellow color of Fiddleneck dominated the pastures west of Soda Lake Overlook, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

An abstract of Soda Lake with wildflowers, seen from the Soda Lake Overlook, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Hillside Daisies blanket the landscape along Elkhorn Road and Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Flower-covered, eroded hills at the foot of the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

A dazzling display of Phacelia (purple), Hillside Daisies (yellow) and San Joaquin Blazing Stars (orange), Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Kern Mallows and Hillside Daisies carpet the hills of the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Millions of Hillside Daisies flow down slopes of the gorges and ravines of the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

A rainstorm passes in the distance over Soda Lake, seen from the flower-chocked foothills of the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Toni running on a path through wildflowers in the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

Millions of Hillside Daisies flow down the slopes of a gorge in the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, April 2017.

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