Go see the wildflowers in season for fresh air and recreation, while maintaining physical distancing
“Using the term shelter at home does not literally mean that people should not leave their homes for essential activities or fresh air and exercise,” says San Luis Obispo County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.
–Spring often comes early to San Luis Obispo County. Abundant rains in early winter months followed by lazy warm days bring out the best of nature’s displays – wildflowers. Now is a great time to visit with your family, but due to COVID-19, now is not the time to gather in groups. See guidelines from SLO County below.
Probably the most popular spot for folks who love wildflowers is found in the eastern part of the county way out Highway 58. You can’t miss it in a good flower year. As you approach Shell Creek Road the fields are bursting with miles of yellow flowers. In years past, people have come by busloads to see the spectacle and to take photographs.
Photo by Skye Pratt
Wildflowers you might see there are goldfields, tidy tips, baby blue eyes, owl’s clover, poppies, and several varieties of lupine. Farther down Highway 58 is the Carrizo Plain and more of the same flowers.
While the Shell Creek Road display is the epitome of wildflower viewing, flowers grow everywhere in the open spaces of the county. Where should you look? Check the sides of the roads. Mustard plants are sometimes the first plants to show up in fields and alongside the edges of highways. Other areas to watch for would be places where rain runoff occurs or any area near a stream, rocky outcrops, open grasslands, woodlands, orchards, and chaparral-covered hillsides.
To view this complete story, visit the San Luis Obispo County Visitor’s Guide.
SLO County Health officials provide the following guidance to residents who want to enjoy outdoor activities:
- Check for any local restrictions at city, county, and state recreational areas.
- Avoid gathering with others outside of your household.
- Stay at least six feet from others at all times and avoid crowded areas.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Bring hand sanitizer with at least 60-percent alcohol to use if soap and water are not available.
Editor’s note: Use caution not to trample wildflowers and respect wildlife.
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