Hiking Among the Wildflowers – California in Spring Time – Photo Essay

Spring is a wonderful time of year in California. After the winter rains, even what little we received this year, the hills turn green and the wildflowers come out. As spring turns to summer these hills will turn brown (or golden) and will occasionally catch fire as we won’t have any rain for months.

Many of the hills around the major cities are regional parks. These pictures were taken from
Helen Putnam Regional Park near Petaluma, California.

The most common wildflower in this area is the California Golden Poppy. Don’t pick a bunch for your vase at home as picking wildflowers is not legal.

These hikers have found rest in a sprawling Live Oak tree. These trees can handle the dry summers in California and are what you see on most of the hills in the area.

After you hike at the Helen Putnam Regional Park, I recommend heading down the hill to Petaluma for lunch at the Petaluma Pie Company.