Hillcrest Open Space in Thousand Oaks is Abloom in Mustard and Lupine

The hilly Hillcrest Open Space Preserve is covered yellow and purple in a display worthy of view. In fact, I’ve never seen this much lupine in one place in my 25+ years in the Conejo Valley. The Hillcrest Open Space main trailhead is not the easiest place to access due to the lack of any parking on Hillcrest Drive in that area, but there’s also another entry point highlighted in THIS POST. You will also enjoy the colors just driving by.

Not particularly the best trail for young kids as it is one of the hillier trails in the area. But not a problem for some. (On that note family and stroller-friendly local area trails at THIS LINK.

Lots of yellow going on around here (achoo!)

Just a small smattering of poppies in the Hillcrest Open Space.

Annual Flower Display off the Westlake Vista Trail at Triunfo Creek Park

Triunfo Creek Park was hit hard by the Woolsey Fire in November 2018. After several months of solid rains in February and March, color is making a reappearance at the park.

I was trying to identify specifically what these tiny little flowers are and I think Chris Rowell of Newbury Park correctly nailed it down to California Goldfields (Lasthenia californica). These ones are seen adjacent to the fence on the west side of the park that lies adjacent to the Las Virgenes Reservoir.

If you do visit, like with other wildflowers, please do your best to enjoy them without trampling on them. That way we can all enjoy them each year! :)

The Stagecoach Trail at Wildwood Park also has a patch of these pretty yellow flowers.

Beautiful Poppy Display on the East End of Corriganville Park in Simi Valley

Corriganville Park on the east end of Simi Valley suffered extensive damages in the Woolsey Fire of November 2018 and was closed for a couple months before reopening in mid-January. It is now mid-March, and while portions of the burnt area are clearly evident, there is a very special orange poppy display on the east hill of the park that is attracting many local residents.

In my visit on Saturday, March 16th, I encountered smiles on everyone’s faces. With the sights and sounds of the 118 up in the distance, these beautiful poppies brought a sense of community and joy to those present.

Corriganville Park is located at 7001 Smith Road in Simi Valley. From Thousand Oaks, take the 23 north to the 118 east. Take the Kuehner offramp and turn right to Smith Road and Corriganville Park.

The park is named after Ray “Crash” Corrigan, a stuntman/actor who owned the park from 1937 to 1965, when over 3,500 movies, TV shows and commercials were filmed there. In 1949, the Corrigan Movie Ranch opened as a Western-style amusement park with a train ride and stagecoach ride; in fact, in the late 1950s the Ranch had greater weekend attendance than Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm!

Annual Poppy Display in the North Ranch Open Space, Thousand Oaks, on March 16, 2019

Superbloom or no superbloom, this beautiful poppy patch off the Bowfield/Saddle Pass Trail in the North Ranch Open Space in Thousand Oaks has been blooming this time of year for years. The hills to get up here are not for everyone e.g. they are steep - but to me are worth it for this view orange beauty.

Annual Coreopsis Display at Point Dume Natural Preserve in Malibu in Full Bloom

The Coreopsis are in full bloom at Point Dume Natural Preserve and are worth going out of your way for. Sweetening the deal this week was the migration of Painted Lady butterflies, stopping for a snack.

Every year, March is the time to visit Point Dume to enjoy the peak blooming of the flowers, combined with beautiful blue skies and ocean, seals, dolphins, on occasional whale and other scenes. You’re really missing out if you’ve never visited this fantastic local destination.

To get to Point Dume State Beach, take Westward Beach Road southeast from PCH near Zuma Beach's south side to the paid parking area (or park on Westward Beach Road and walk the length of the parking lot, about half a mile, to the trailhead)

Point Dume Natural Preserve is protected land, so do stay on marked paths and enjoy your surrounds with your eyes only. The stairs/steps from the parking lot at Point Dume State Beach are a bit uneven and worn down, so do be careful with the little ones.

There’s a platform with seating on the southernmost side of the bluff where you can enjoy viewing the sea life.

The trailhead at the end of the parking lot at Point Dume State Beach

View from the top towards east side of Point Dume Cove

The view west towards Zuma Beach from the top of the bluff.

Painted Ladies getting in on the Coreopsis action.

Green Meadows and Hills and Wildflowers on Display in La Jolla Valley, Point Mugu State Park

The La Jolla Valley Natural Preserve is located in Point Mugu State Park, in the west end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The La Jolla Valley was acquired by the State of California in 1966 and was established as a Natural Preserve in 1972.

The area can be accessed via the .7 mile, but very steep Chumash Trail in Point Mugu (strenuous but the quickest approach), via the La Jolla Canyon Trail (which has been closed since January 2015 due to mudslides), or in a roundabout way, via the Ray Miller Trail. Or you can hike there from Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park, which would be something in the neighborhood of 6 to 8 miles, depending on route.

In any case, the area is spectacularly beautiful right now in March 2017 after the winter rainstorms. If you are looking for peace and quiet, green hills and wildflowers, this is the place for you right now.

Wildflowers in Full Bloom at the Ray Miller Trail in La Jolla Canyon, Point Mugu State Park

Note: This was posted in March 2017. We stopped by in 2018 and 2019 and there was not an abundance of flowers on the trail these years.

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We knew this was coming. A sea of orange and purple wildflowers in La Jolla Canyon at Pt. Mugu State Park in northwest of Malibu. It may take you about a half an hour to get there from Thousand Oaks, but it is well worth stopping by the Ray Miller Trail in La Jolla Canyon to catch a glimpse of these colors. More on the Ray Miller Trail at THIS LINK. Directions from Thousand Oaks at THIS LINK.