Wildflowers On The North Coast

Cliff-Side Delights

This is one of those years where super blooms are being spotted all over California. But it doesn't take a super bloom year to have great flower discoveries on the North Coast. These images were taken in 2021 in the middle of the drought and the pandemic.

With a little exploring you will find flowers on many of the cliffs. These seaside daisies are pretty easy to find and they are often found right on the edge of a cliff making a great foreground object for you photographers. Just be very careful as with all of the rain we have had the cliffs will be especially vulnerable this year. Stay back a safe distance and enjoy.

All of these images were taken in early June. You will find that some locations are in constant change so that what you see one week will be dramatically different a week later. This is especially true at Stump Beach where you can walk on the trail and view gorgeous ocean scenes as well as an array of different flowers. On the south end there is a good size patch of yellow lupins and in the middle of the meadow there is a growing display of blue iris.

A short distance up the road (to the north) from Stump Beach is the Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve. This is well worth a visit. The flowers are not as abundant as they were some years ago, but the setting is a real treat and the flowers are as beautiful as ever. The area along the coast from Fort Ross to Gualala has a lot of places were you can park and walk to locations along the shore. Most have fairly well marked paths. With a little luck you may find an undiscovered scene you can call your own!

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