California desert transforms during wildflower 'super bloom'

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It's an exciting time of year in California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The park has been getting a colorful array of wildflowers in a super-bloom that is the parks first big bloom in over 12 years. Because of heavy winter rains, Mother Nature has given way for a bigger flower show than usual. The flowers, however, may not last very long due to caterpillars and winds in the area say Sally Theriault the state park interpreter. Most likely the colorful array of flowers will only last about a week or two. But for now, the park is being transformed in a beautiful way. What is usually a barren desert of Death Valley is now a colorful desert in bloom. The Anza-Borrego Desert National History Association continues to post regular updates with recommendations on some of the best places to view the flowers. You will also find many photos from the park shared on social media. The park has been transformed with carpets of Purple verbenas, Desert sunflowers, Desert dandelions, Brown-eyed primroses, and Evening primroses coming up in Anza-Borrego.

If going to the park is something you might be considering you will want to plan first to take full advantage of this year's highly anticipated super bloom. There is only a short window of time to take advantage of the lovely flower bloom and visitors will most likey only have until the end of the month to take advantage of a large field of yellow Desert Sunflowers or purple Canterbury Bells or to take in a fragrant patch of Spectacle-pod. Because of the fleeting and fickle nature of wildflower blooms, the park is offering a few helpful tips for visitors to make the most of this year's promising spectacle. To start, you don't want to wait for a few weeks to see the wildflowers. This super bloom happening because of the ample winter rains will most likely fade quickly due to harsh winds, ravenous caterpillars, and rising temperatures, according to park officials.

If you're planning to drive, the park is located just two hours east of San Diego, and you might want to head out early. Afternoon temperatures could break into the 90s this weekend, and the desert rays can be unforgiving. Make sure to bring lots of sunscreen and plenty of water. You will want to get a head start to help you beat the crowds. The Anza-Borrego is California's biggest state park with 630,000 acres. The dessert park goes from the Riverside County line all the way to the Mexican border in eastern San Diego County. The park expects a lot of visitors coming to the same area, so they recommend coming to visit midweek if possible. One of the most challenging parts of a trip to the desert park during wildflower season is finding a place to stay. During this time of year, the campsites in the park are almost always fully booked months in advance on the weekends. But there may, however, be a few spots available during the week. And the local hotels in Borrego Springs can book up quickly if you don't plan in advance. And for people who don't mind a more rustic stay, there are several primitive campsites that are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you can't make the trip you will want to take a look at the gallery of beautiful flowers during the super bloom.

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