Best 50-ish mile backpacking trip to experience the bloom in California?

[Matthew Stenger]

Like the title suggests, I am hoping to experience the historic bloom in California. I have several days free and am thinking of booking a last minute flight down there tomorrow. Does anyone have a great spot to recommend?

[Kenneth Keating]

Carrizo Plains National Monument is the place I’d recommend.  I was there a week a ago and it’s beautiful.  See here for photos.  The one’s posted from Ken on March 30 are the ones I took. As you can see from the link, the Temblor Range has some beautiful flowers.

[Kenneth Keating]

 

[Matthew Stenger]

What kind of backpacking opportunities are there? I don’t want to be constantly surrounded by day hikers.

[Jane Baack]

Matthew,
Several years ago Amy and Jim did part of a bicycle/camping trip in Carrizo Plains. They camped overnight using their tent as I recall. Maybe their trip report would be of help for places where you could backpack where they rode their bikes. Check their new site: Doing Miles.com or maybe check with Amy Lauterbach with a personal message.

The flowers are spectacular at Carrizo right now but it is an area with no public transportation to/from the isolated area. Anza Borrego has also had spectacular blooms but also not easy to get there without a car, from San Diego.

[Kenneth Keating]

I was back in Carrizo Plains yesterday.  I spoke to the Park Ranger regarding backpacking and you can backpack in the Temblor Range where quite a few of the wildflowers are.  There’s no established trails but lots of abandoned  4wd spur roads into the canyons.   There ‘s no trails nor water, so you’d have to take that into consideration.  There was one portion I’d love to backpack into, but I just don’t have the time available.

 

 

 

[Cameron M]

Wow

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