In an age that celebrates individuality, its astounding how many people simply follow the crowds to the most popular destinations. The “super bloom” craze has hit the L.A. region in full force this spring. In Lake Elsinore, people began to come in droves once a beautiful extensive poppy bloom began and soon they were getting up to 50,000 people a day to see the wildflowers. The city got so overwhelmed they had to institute a shuttle system to regulate the parking and charged $10 because people were out of control. In the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, people were flocking there as well to see the poppy flowers. There was even an instance where someone landed a helicopter in the field and when authorities approached the people to tell them they weren’t permitted to land there, they fled the scene and flew away as if it were some action movie.
Now I understand that popular places are popular for a reason. Many natural wonders are National Parks or protected areas because they have intrinsic beauty or are curiously unique. People visit these sites in larger number for very good reasons. So braving the crowds is sometimes a necessary evil to see significant places or things. However, the crowds in these instances have begun ruining the landscape. Flowers are fragile enough that if you have enough people traipsing through making their own trails or even picking the flowers, the landscape can quickly become overrun. The number of people visiting these two locations has been staggering this year. While the last “super bloom” we had in California was only 2 years ago, the mania has vastly exceeded anything I remember then.
A main reason that those two particular places have been overrun by large numbers of people is their proximity to Los Angeles. With such a massive population center near many wildflower blooming sites, their popularity is nearly inevitable. The social media factor is certainly a contributor as well. The location of these sites becomes spread through social media but also posting pictures to social media becomes trendy and people simply want to hop on the bandwagon. Some people, I am sure, don’t even appreciate the flowers and what they are seeing, but only want to join the “super bloom” trend.
What is a super bloom? Well the phrase super bloom is simply a buzzword used by the media to gain clicks and views to describe a large blooming of wildflowers. The phrase is now used to describe any amount of wildflowers, the spring season, or as a phenomenon. While super bloom doesn’t have any technical definition, the use of it has been blown up and distorted so that it lacks any real meaning. Now, though, it seems super bloom is just a hashtag for people to post pictures about to gain popularity.
However, wildflowers are blooming all over the southern part of California. While some vary in intensity, there are many places to see incredible blooms of wildflowers. You don’t have to drive far to see a beautiful display of wild flowers and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. From Mojave National Preserve near the Arizona Border, to Anza-Borrega State Park, to the Tejon Pass and all the way to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and along the coastal range. The options to see wildflower blooms is nearly endless. When looking for wildflowers, going off the beaten path is a great way to get out and explore and see a sight unique to yourself and enjoy a completely new experience. I went up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Visalia to drive through and go wildflower hunting. There were some beautiful areas that had incredible blooms. The exploration is half the fun and the search was a great experience. While the flowers may have not been as numerous as in other places, I would prefer the solitude over the crowds.
Although the drove of people in Lake Elsinore sounds quite distasteful, I do understand the beauty of seeing such a mass of flowers. In 2017 I went to Carrizo Plain National Monument and the amount and variety of wildflowers was astounding and incredibly beautiful. I am considering going back there as I have heard that the wildflowers are blooming again. The crowds shouldn’t be near as crazy as Lake Elsinore and Lancaster but I will probably try to avoid a weekend anyway. However, exploring on my own in the foothills was a good reminder for myself that following the “super bloom” trend isn’t worth the effort. Sometimes going off and exploring on your own can be more exciting and bring more joy than simply following the crowds.
