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Spring Flowers and Waterfalls |
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Thursday, 08 April 2010 |
Warm sun, blooming flowers, colorful gardens, green hills, noisy creeks and waterfalls - it's outdoor time. There are many great outdoor places to go with kids, but don't miss spring flowers and waterfalls.
- Here are some great gardens full of spring bloom - perfect for taking pictures:
 Cherry blossom at Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park
 Tulips at the Dutch windmill in Golden Gate Park
 Peony, Spring Bulbs, Tulips, Wisteria, Lilacs are among many blooming plants and trees at Filoli garden
 Cactus blossom at Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek (April)
 Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto - Wisteria garden is in bloom and the Iris garden start to get some colors.
 The Conservatory of flowers in Golden Gate Park
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There are many great trails around the bay area to see wild flowers. Here are few notable ones:
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve (Palo Alto Hills) -- one
of the top bay area spots for wildflowers, primarily poppies and lupine in spring. Joint others for a wild flower hike on 4/11 and 4/25
Henry Coe State Park (Morgan Hill) -- the largest state park in Northern California. Many wildflowers and fantastic creeks. Check out the wildflower album before you go.
Point Reyes National Seashore -- Chimney Rock Trail is the No. 1 spot for the variety of wildflowers. Sky Trail is always a good bet for forget-me-nots,
milkmaids and iris.
Sunol Regional Wilderness -- start at the valley floor
near Alameda Creek, gets more spectacular uphill all the way to Cerro Este and Shell Ridge.
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve (Redwood City) -- easily accessible. Free docent-led wildflower walks.
- Spring is also a great time to see waterfalls when creeks and waterfalls gush with snowmelt from the sierras:
 Yosemite is home to countless waterfalls. The best time to see waterfalls is during spring, when most of the snowmelt occurs. The famous ones are Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall.
 Alamere falls at Point Reyes National Seashore - "A hike along a coastal trail rewards you with beautiful ocean views, forests and wildflowers, and then this magnificent waterfall shooting over a cliff to the beach below.."
 MCWAY FALLS at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur -"A crystal-clear stream emerges from a grove of cypresses, cascades 80 feet, and lands almost delicately on a pristine sandy beach below..."
 RAINBOW FALLS at Devils Postpile National Monument -"The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River pours over ancient lava flows and stately old-growth forests frame the falls and high Sierra peaks loom above..."
 BURNEY FALLS at McArthur–Burney Falls State Park, Calif - "Every day a hundred million gallons of water fall into a mist-filled basin, dropping 129 feet in a wide and breathtaking tumult..."
 Big basin Redwoods state park waterfalls - Berry Creek Falls, Silver Falls, Golden Cascade, and Sempervirens Falls.
 Auburn State Recreation Area - American Canyon Falls, Knickerbocker Falls, Lake Clementine Falls, Paradise Canyon Falls and Codfish Falls.
 Mossbrae Falls is a waterfall flowing into the Sacramento River, in the Shasta Cascade area in Dunsmuir, California.
 Feather Falls - 6th highest waterfall in US. Near Oroville, CA, Plumas National forest
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