The Wildflower Superbloom in Carizzo Plain

In the southeastern corner of San Luis Obispo County in California is a quiet, unassuming valley. Flanked by the Caliente Range and the Temblor Range, this valley, better known as the Carizzo Plain is cool and green in the winter, and drier and warmer in the summer. In the season in between, wildflowers spring up in this plain and on the rolling hills on either side of it. And if there is a super bloom, it is an absolute riot of colors in these plains and the hillsides as well.

The plain in early spring

We drove through the length of the Carizzo Plain in early spring when we were driving back up from Southern California; it was a short detour. It was towards the end of March and the superbloom was just around the corner. As such, the plain wasn’t ‘colorful’ yet. However, the yellow wildflowers of the region had begun to bloom and carpet the valley and the sides of many a hill in the area. And it was already a pretty sight!

Since the superbloom wasn’t at its peak then, there weren’t many visitors there that day. It was an unhurried and delightful drive through those 50-odd miles through the Carizzo Plain, its wildflowers, ranches, Soda Lake and a smaller lake at the southeastern end of Carizzo Plain National Monument. And we also drove past the San Andreas Fault in two places along this drive.

Set your eyes the flowers of Carizzo Plain National Monument

A bit about Carizzo Plain National Monument

Carizzo Plain lies in the southeastern corner of San Luis Obispo County, as mentioned earlier. It’s 30-odd miles from Interstate 5, which connects Southern California to the northern parts of the state (and the states north of CA.)

This area in between two mountain ranges used to be home to the Chumash, Yokuts and other groups of native Americans. The area saw some ranches and farmlands appear on it in the 1800s. In the latter part of the 20th century, a part of the plain was acquired by the California Department of Fish and Game, the US Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy and began to be protected under a partnership of these agencies.

Today, the southern part of the plain is the Carizzo Plain National Monument, thanks to President Bill Clinton who signed a presidential proclamation to make it a national monument.

Soda Lake Road runs through this national monument allowing you to see the points-of-interests within this valley between the Caliente and the Temblor Ranges.

What to see at this National Monument

• Soda Lake
• Wildflowers in Spring
• Painted Rock
• San Andreas Fault
• A couple of ranches

Things to know before you visit Carizzo Plain

• You might run out of satellite signals in the plain, so you might want to make sure you know the route. Soda Lake Road is the main road of Carizzo Plain National Monument. There are smaller, well-marked roads that lead you to the other POIs in the area.
• Soda Lake Road runs north-south within the national monument and is around 45 miles long.
• To access Soda Lake Road from the north of the plain, take California State Route 58, and from the south, Highway 166.
• A good part of Soda Lake Road is not paved. If you are traveling this side during the rains or after a few of them, be aware that the roads might be difficult to use; it might even be impassable. When it’s dry, just be prepared for a bumpy but scenic drive through the plain.
• There are no services within the national monument. If you need food or drink, you might want to carry it with you.
• You will find a couple of restrooms along the way.
• Remember: you will lose cellphone signals too, here in the plain.
• You are expected to stay on the roads and trails (and not venture into unmarked roads and other parts of the monument.)
• San Andreas Fault is difficult to miss. If you are keen on seeing it (like I was), make sure to look for it near a half mile or so south of Traver Ranch. If you’re driving north, you will pass another portion of it when you are on Highway 58.

Got any other questions about the area or the superbloom here? Feel free to get in touch in the comments or DM me on social media. Listed below are some other flower destinations in California

You might also want to go see:

Desert flowers of Anza Borrego Desert State Park
California Poppies at Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
Cherry Blossoms in San Francisco
Almond Blossoms in San Joaquin Valley
Yellow wildflowers on the San Mateo Coast
Wildflowers in Big Sur

Linking to —
Pictorial Tuesday
My Corner of the World

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