This is an interesting preserve. I went several years ago when I first moved to Antelope Valley, but assumed that the Preserve would be in bloom at the time of the Lancaster Poppy Festival. Wrong! A lot depends on the amount of rain received throughout the winter. At the time of my visit, there were more poppies blooming in the... More

You can drive into this area and all of a sudden find yourself surrounded by so many wild poppies, it is hard to beleive!

The Poppy Preserve is only a small part of the natural beauty on display in the Antelope Valley. Quail Lake Road (138 I think) from the 5 fwy on into Lancaster and the 14 fwy takes you through the heart of this amazing spectacle. There are many side roads and plenty of places to get out and stretch your legs...plenty... More

This is an article I wrote for Yahoo... thought it was a perfect review... A splash of orange is on its way, The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve located in Lancaster, Ca is a sight that everyone should see once in their lifetime. When I moved here to Edwards AFB, CA from Louisiana I was a little home sick. Leaving the... More

Though the hiking trails are lovely and well maintained, there were not any poppies to speak of this year, and the price to get in was mighty steep for a poppy-less Poppy Reserve ($10 per car). Hopefully next time it will be better, but I would check out how good of a year it is before paying the money to... More

Poppy season always depends on the rainfall and some years the hillsides are pure orange with the California Poppy while others are more sparse. Regardless, every year the poppys are in bloom the desert is transformed.

When the poppies are good, they are very good! Some years nothing, some years orange that can be seen for miles! Nice visitor center and paved trails from it, or wander anywhere in the area for great photos

In a good year, the Antelope Valley poppy fields can be spectacular - if you just look at the flowers. The overall landscape is however less than inspiring. One can enjoy equal or better floral outbursts most years in places like the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 down into the area of Arvin (CA), or in the Kern River Valley... More

When there's a full bloom, the sight is absolutely stunning. You might think, "Yeah, they're flowers; what's the big deal?" But it can almost make you giddy to be SURROUNDED by orange blooms like this. You have to experience it for yourself to appreciate it. The best years aren't necessarily ones with the heaviest rainfall; they're the ones that have... More