Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve

Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve is Mojave Desert grassland that comes to life every spring. The duration of each season’s vibrant colours and fragrant aromas varies from year to year.

The park is accessible from dawn to dusk every day of the year, regardless of the wildflower season. The fall season is also lovely, with warm days and gentle breezes. The park is excellent for hiking and exploring any season, thanks to its eight miles of pathways winding through the mild sloping hills.

Get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some peace in the countryside. Trailside benches provide excellent vantage points to observe animals such as meadow larks, lizards, gopher snakes, and rattlesnakes. You might see a bobcat or coyote if you’re lucky! Many different kinds of animals live in the numerous caves strewn throughout the pathways.

History of Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve

The Antelope Valley is a high desert region in the western Mojave Desert, between 2,600 and 3,000 feet. Sheep used to graze on the buttes until the early 1970s, when they were banned by park management. Before the railroad arrived in the 1880s, pronghorn antelope grazed peacefully, but the influx of recreational hunters ultimately doomed the species.

California’s most reliably poppy-bearing land can be found in this State’s Natural Reserve. In addition to owl’s clover and lupine, other wildflowers, including goldfield, cream cups, and coreopsis, help transform the desert grassland into a fragrant tapestry of colour and scent every spring.

Nature of Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve

The duration and magnitude of each year’s wildflower bloom are as random as the weather. The flowers in California’s state parks aren’t irrigated or artificially stimulated in any way; instead, the soil is left to the same natural processes that shaped our entire planet millions of years ago.

This landscape’s expansive vistas feast on vibrant wildflower colours and fragrant aromas. It is the perfect site to come, whether you prefer big, open fields or intimate, detailed studies of individual flowers.

Address: 15101 Lancaster Rd, Lancaster, CA 93536, United States

Open-Closes: 7 am-7 pm

Phone Number: +1 661-724-1180

Email: mojave.sector@parks.ca.gov

Established: 1976

Management: California State Parks

Area: 1,781 acres (7.21 km2)