Record Number of Visitors Enjoy Carrizo Plain National Monuments Wildflower Bloom
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CARRIZO PLAIN, Calif – The Carrizo Plain National Monument's wildflower bloom has been a boon for visitor attendance this year! Record numbers of people are enjoying nature’s sensational wildflowers on Bureau of Land Management public lands.
Typically, the Goodwin Education Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Sunday, receives about 500 visitors a day. But on April 1, the visitor center accommodated 1,200 flower followers. Counters calculated 11,000 vehicles had entered the Carrizo Plain National Monument in March.
Growing up on the Carrizo Plain, National Monument Manager Johna Hurl has seen lots of spectacular seasonal blooms, but she ranks this year among the best, “Everywhere you look the landscape is blanketed with orange, yellow and purple flowers! People want to know where the best spot for viewing is, but this year by just driving up to the visitor center, you are surrounded by seas of wildflowers.”
Despite the banner year, visitors are being very respectful. Parking areas are filling up fast, but Hurl says motorists are finding space along the road and are trying not to obstruct others’ view. Hikers are following the same paths, and people have been graciously helping each other out when someone’s vehicle breaks down.
Now is the peak of the wildflower bloom at the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Rain is in the forecast next week, which may extend the season, but warmer weather will fade nature’s flowering cycle by the end of April. Updated, automated wildflower viewing information is available by calling (805) 475-2035.
The Carrizo Plain National Monument is the largest remaining remnant of the original San Joaquin Valley habitat, home to threatened and endangered species and cultural sites important to Native American Tribes. The Monument is cooperatively managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and The Nature Conservancy. For more information, visit the Bureau of Land Management’s Carrizo Plain National Monument webpage at https://www.blm.gov/nlcs_web/sites/ca/st/en/prog/nlcs/Carrizo_Plain_NM.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.