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Where to See Amazing Wildflower Blooms (East Bay Guide)

Vibrant native wildflowers are blooming in parks throughout the East Bay. Here’s a list of what to see where. But the clock is ticking!
By - posted 4/23/2022 No Comment

In addition to Sunol’s Wildflower Season weekend programs, which run through Sunday, May 1, 2022, native wildflowers can be admired throughout the East Bay Regional Parks.

Some of the more prolific displays can be found at Black Diamond Mines, Morgan Territory, Briones, Coyote Hills, Del Valle, the Ohlone Wilderness Trail, and Vargas Plateau. Enjoy the bounty of this fleeting season while it lasts

East Bay Parks Spring Wildflower Displays

Here’s a list of East Bay parks which typically have vibrant wildflower displays. But please note that the season waxes and wanes with early/mid/and late-blooming varieties. We’re about mid to late-season right now. According to afar.com, peak season for Northern California wildflowers locally typically lasts from about mid-march to late April/May depending on the elevation and rainfall.

  • Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve Wildflower Season – Each year from about the end of March to the beginning of May, a rich diversity of wildflowers bloom in Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve and the Ohlone Wilderness. Experience the season here through videos, printable activities and guides, and check out our Activity Guide for Naturalist guided virtual and in-person programs. Wildflower Walks take place Saturdays and Sundays at 10am through May 1, 2022.
  • Mount Diablo State Park – Blooms usually begin in early March sometimes lasting into May with blue skullcap, canicula, bush lupine, poppies and more.
  • Black Diamond Mines, Antioch: Coal Canyon and Black Diamond Trail – shooting stars, buttercups, blue dicks, paintbrushes
  • Morgan Territory, Livermore: Coyote Trail – larkspur, Mount Diablo fairy-lantern, globe lily, mules ear, and collinsia heterophylla
  • Briones, Martinez/Lafayette: Old Briones Road – CA poppies, Mariposa lilies, buttercup, fiddlenecks, and purple owls clover
  • Coyote Hills, Fremont: CA poppies, lupin, bird’s-foot trefoil, vetch, suncup, scarlet pimpernel, blue dicks, western blue-eyed grass
  • Del Valle, Livermore: Chick lupine aka gully lupine, mules ear, yarrow, fiddleneck, Ithuriel’s spear, brodiaea, blow wives, buttercups, yellow sanickle
  • Ohlone Wilderness Trail, Livermore/Sunol: wildflowers can be seen on Rocky Ridge starting from Del Valle Regional Park (south of Livermore)
  • Pleasanton Ridge, Pleasanton: checkerbloom, common star lily, vetch, western blue-eyed grass, fiesta flower, CA buttercup, CA golden violet, CA poppy, Henderson’s shooting star, lupin, rosy sand crocus
  • Vargas Plateau, Fremont: CA poppies, red maids, sun cup, lupin, red maid, western blue-eyed grass

Where to see wildflowers (East Bay Regional Parks District).