‘It was spectacular’: See reader photos of the Carrizo Plain wildflowers at their peak
The Carrizo Plain is bursting with wildflowers, and the internet is bursting with wildflower photos.
The fields of bright blossoms have drawn visitors from near and far, each toting a phone or camera.
“’Wow’ is the only word that you can manage when you see the peak bloom at Carrizo Plain National Monument,” the Wild Flower Hotline noted in its Friday update.
The hotline, run by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, provides weekly updates on blooms throughout the Central Coast and Southern California.
During our month of wildflower coverage, local readers and those passing through have emailed us snapshots from their visits to the national monument and elsewhere in northeastern San Luis Obispo County. Here are some of our favorite shots:
Mark Nakamura of San Luis Obispo: April 2
Chris Cerruti-Ritter of Atascadero: March 26
“We visited yesterday,” Ritter wrote. “Beautiful!”
Christie Withers of San Luis Obispo: March 27
Peter Jacobsen of Arroyo Grande: March 26
“We took a drive out to the Carrizo Plains on Tuesday the 26th,” Jacobsen wrote. “The flowers were amazing!”
Jim Fritzsche of Sacramento: March 24
“My wife, Alison, and I were at Carrizo Plain National Monument this past Sunday and toured the entire length north to south,” Fritzsche wrote.
“It was spectacular. Wildflowers were in full force on the Temblor Range — at least 50 miles of flowers. Yellow, white/yellow and finally white on the south end. Plus lots of flowers on the valley floor in blue and yellow and red. Where else in the world do flowers bloom like that? Not many, I imagine.”
Hector Valtierra of San Diego: March 29
“Just a few shots of the Carrizo Plain from today, including this lacewing,” Valtierra, a San Diego Community Colleges biology professor wrote. “Passing through on my way back to San Diego after spring break.”
Charlee Smith of Templeton: March 31
Smith submitted photos taken off Highway 46 and Bitterwater Road near Shandon in northeastern San Luis Obispo County.
This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 11:00 AM.
