Road Trip: The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Yesterday, my beautiful friend Rachel Sedory and I made a trip up to Antelope Valley to see all of those beautiful poppies that everyone’s been posting about on Instagram. Seeing it in real life was even more breathtaking than I could have imagined.
On the drive into the valley, there’s a moment when you sit atop a hill and can see everything that’s ahead. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The hills are orange, guys. ORANGE.
For me, this was the most breathtaking moment of the trip. I had no idea just how sprawling the Antelope Valley’s poppies were. Read on for everything need to know, if you’d like to see it for yourself!
Where Is the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve?
AV poppies aren’t only found in the poppy reserve. In fact, you’ll see several poppy fields on your way toward the reserve. These aren’t part of the reserve and are private property, but they certainly make for an exciting lead up to the main event.
The reserve itself is located 15 miles west of Highway 14 at:
15101 Lancaster Rd, Lancaster, CA 93536
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It costs $10 per vehicle that wants to park on the property, however, visiting the park itself is free. I brought cash just in case, but they also take Visa and Mastercard.
They also have bathrooms on the property. They’re only a step up from porta-potties, but it's nice that they’re indoors at least!
When Should You Go?
If you are considering a visit to see the poppies you might want to get a move on. The blooming season for 2019 began March 29th. The park itself is open from sunrise to sundown, and if you’re coming from LA it’ll take you about an hour and a half to get there.
If you’re planning on going to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, go early. Rachel and I left my house around 6:30 am and made it there just before 8 am. The park itself wasn’t busy when we first got there, however, as we were leaving, the park had become incredibly busy. In fact, there was a huge line of cars waiting to get into the park when we left.
Do yourself a favor and go, just be sure that you go early! You won’t regret it.
For more info on the click here for the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Park Website.
