California poppies at Walker Canyon

Eschscholzia californica

California poppies usually bloom from late February to mid-April at Walker Canyon, with the best color from early March into early April.

late February – mid-April Best: early March into early April Out of season

The show usually starts around late February. Check back closer to the season.

Not every season keeps to that rhythm. In one of the 8 seasons on record (2025-26) the first flowers opened around mid-January.

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 426 flowering reports from Riverside County shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

The 2019 superbloom made these hills world-famous and nearly loved them to death. In big years the city has closed access entirely — check before you drive, and stay on the trail if it's open.

Walker Canyon Ecological Reserve (check City of Lake Elsinore access notices first)

We name public reserves, parks, and roads only — never exact pins, never private land.

Nearby on the calendar

California poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve — best late March into early April

Updated September 8, 2026. Bloom timing varies with the year's weather — the curve shows the usual rhythm, and in-season updates sharpen it.