California Poppy Reserve

The San Gabriel Mountains provided a spectacular backdrop for our trip through the high desert of Palmdale Hesperia area.

the traffic was plentiful with many out of state cars filling the parking areas. our trip from the road to the park entrance took over 30 minutes for about 1/4 mile.  Many decided to forgo the wait and parked on the street walking up to the viewing areas

the hills were covered by the natural blanket of California Poppy.

 Broad vistas of rolling hills covered with an abundant bloom of poppy

originally the fields were seeded but over the years natural expansion of the flowers was allowed to prepare the fields for the next bloom.  the rains of this last year provided the right growing conditions for an outstanding bloom. 

some plants are just more prolific than others

This lizard must have thought she was at an open buffet with all the bugs brought to this area by the poppy bloom.

the grey is not dead plants but what looked like variety of desert sage.

there were abundant rodent tracks as can be seen in this photo. the small dark hole in the lower right corner was entrance to a burrow and its heavy use was evident by the trail that runs up the middle of the picture.

the poppy were not the only flower in bloom as evidenced by these few pictures.