Springtime wildflower and landscape photo sites in w USA

As I mentioned in this entry on BPotD, I'm planning a trip through the western US from the second week of March to the second week of April. Smack dab in the middle, I have to be in Albuquerque.

I'm using this thread to keep track of potential sites to visit. Please feel free to suggest some.

 

My initial thoughts (and your suggestions):

Oregon - Willamette Valley, Siskiyous, Hells Canyon
California - Siskiyous, Redwood Nat'l Park, Yosemite Nat'l Park, Sequoia Nat'l Park, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, Antelope Valley Wildflower Reserve, Death Valley, Point Reyes Nat'l Season (suggested by Darren on BPotD)

Arizona - Sonora Desert, Organ Pipe, Grand Canyon

Nevada - Valley of Fire (suggested by mr.shep), Red Rock Canyon (suggested by mr.shep)

New Mexico - ?

Utah - Zion, Bryce Canyon

Idaho - ?

Washington - Palouse

 

Take in the White Mts in Calif for Pinus longaeva on the return route if you possibly can. Only thing to watch out for is whether the road is open (snow-free) then, it may still be closed.

 

Michael, would this be in the area southeast of Sequoia? I'm not familiar with it.

 

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

 

Lolo pass loop, Idaho, especially Hwy 12 between Grangeville & Missoula. This section follows the Lewis & Clark Trail, and is home to the endangered disjunct population of Cornus nuttallii. Beautiful country.

 

The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is well worth the visit. Great collection of plants, but so much more. It's right next to Saguaro National Park (West).

In Idaho, I enjoyed the Craters of the Moon National Monument, although it is much more geologic than botanical.

North of Santa Fe, NM there is a great cliff dwelling-village, but I can't remember the name.

 

Gordo, 2 years ago, Lolo pass was barely snow free in July- March/April would be too soon.

 

Sorry - timing is everything.

 

Here's an even dozen suggestions for sites in California (from North to South):


1) Little Bald Hills Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
from redwoods to serpentine soil w/ many diff. Manzanitas);

2) Damnation Trail in Del Norte Redwoods State Park (steep ridge-to-beach trail passes through many diff. plant communities);

3) Fern Canyon (just what it sounds like) in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (for redwoods, almost any trail in Prairie Creek is about as good a redwood experience as you could want);

4) the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge (a number of rare &/or endangered spp on former Nature Conservancy land - not open to the general public, but access/tours can be arranged (call 707-822-6378));

5) the Nature Trail in Humboldt Redwoods State Park (the Dyerville Giant fell there a dozen years back, and may have been the tallest tree in the world at the time (~370 ft.) - the 'corpse' is >200 ft. long and ~20 ft. in diameter near the base, and the exposed root cluster is >35 ft. across!);

6) the Pygmy Forest in Van Damme State Park (mature conifers as short as 1 foot!!);

7) Point Lobos State Reserve (rare Monterey cypress (and sea otters!));

8) Montaña de Oro State Park (grassy, rocky hills with a few riparian areas);

9) La Jolla Canyon in Point Mugu State Park (rare succulents);

10) Torrey Pines State Reserve (rare pine);

11) Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (there was a major fire here 2+ yrs. ago - good chance to see pioneer and early succession plants);

12) Palm Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (hell plants, belly flowers and palm oases, oh my!).

 

Desert BG is a great idea.

Gordo - thanks for the note on Idaho (and silver_creek on the follow-up). Is it anything like the Wallowas? I was through there once and loved it. Sounds like that will have to be on another trip, but checking out Lolo Pass would let me go through the Wallowas again...

Eric L - thanks.

Eric S - wow, you're making me think I should reconsider my return trip to not go through Utah and instead return back through CA (just so I can see all the Californian stuff).

Does anyone know how far a trip it is from San Diego to see the Stenocereus eruca in Baja California Sur? Would lack of Spanish or a diesel-powered vehicle be a problem to travel there?

 

Douglas Justice suggested Huntington Botanical Garden.

Also was told it is about a 6-8 hour drive to Baja California Sur (and that there's no need to stop in Tijuana)

 

I can second some of Eric's suggestions- the Bald Hills, Fern Canyon, and Del Norte Redwoods, as we included them on a wildflower trip last spring (May not April). We were late enough to also go up into the Siskyous and enjoy the incredible, unique plant communities there. Another late spring trip that has been exceptional for wildflowers is the area around Lava Tubes National Monument and the lower portions of the Warner Range in Northeast California.

 

Yes, I'm considering my venture into the Siskiyous for that time of year to be scouting for another time, so my expectations are low.

 

Hi Daniel,

East of the Owens Valley - roundabout 37°20'N 118°15'W. Take the road 168 east from Big Pine (signed to Deep Springs & Oasis), then the minor road north from the Westgard Pass summit. On this minor road you start off in Pinus monophylla/Juniperus osteosperma scrub at 2200m, then gradually climb up to Pinus longaeva/P. flexilis forest at 2700-3000m.

 

Some locations near Santa Barbara via email:

 

Well, looks like I'm only going to briefly stop in the Sonoran and surrounding deserts:

Suffering Cacti

Apparently not much of anything in bloom - too bad, as I was really looking forward to the desert.