The Antelope
Valley California Poppy Reserve is established to protect and
perpetuate outstanding displays of native wildflowers, particularly the California
Poppy, Eschscholzia californica, the state flower. These spectacular
floral displays are maintained for the enjoyment, inspiration, and education of
the people for all time to come.
WILDFLOWERS
This 7-square-kilometer State Reserve, nestled in
the Antelope Buttes 25 km west of Lancaster, California, is located at 34º45'N
118º23'W on California's most consistent poppy-bearing land at an elevation
ranging from 800 to 900 meters. Other wildflowers: owl's clover, lupine, goldfield,
cream cups, and coreopsis, to name a few, share the desert grassland to produce
a mosaic of color and fragrance each spring. As unpredictable as nature —
the intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies yearly. Eleven kilometers
of trails, including a paved section for wheelchair access, wind gently through
the wildflower fields. The broad views of this landscape provide eyefuls of brilliant
wildflower colors.
The poppies close on cool or windy days. Best show is
when the temperature is over 20ºC and the wind speed is less than 15 km/h.
