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As the common saying goes, there are only two guarantees in life – death and taxes. Traveling the world can be a blast, but it can also be a big letdown.
Perhaps you take a trip to Alaska, Iceland, or Canada in hopes of seeing the mesmerizing Northern Lights but come up empty-handed.
Not every place is always as it appears, and it becomes even more unpredictable with natural phenomena.
Let’s be real – how often is the weather report wrong? A lot! When it comes to gorgeous wildflower superblooms, very specific conditions have to be met.
California is one of the most reliable states in terms of giving visitors these out-of-this-world colorful photo ops, but stretches throughout the Southwest as well.
We have buzzed with the bees, Rain Danced for the gods, and stuck our fingers to the wind to compile our best guesswork of giving travelers their best shot to witness one of the most scenic natural sights at U.S. National Parks.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
California may make headlines for all the wrong reasons but she sure is a beaut! Home to stunning National Parks, some more popular than others, you can’t go wrong immersing yourself in nature in this state.
Not a household name, Lassen Volcanic Park in Northern California is among your best bets to witness a superbloom.
Known for spectacular wildflowers, visitors tend to see them bloom in the summer months. However, California has been receiving more rainfall and may start to see vibrant fields and hills full of blue lupines, orange and yellow monkey flowers, and of course, the California poppy.
Channels Island National Park
Those ready for an adventure should look no further than Channel Islands National Park off the California coast between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
These standalone islands may not be a household name either, but you’ll be telling all your friends about it should you time your visit right to witness a superbloom.
Home to amazing landscapes incomparable to any other park on this list, even if you do miss the ‘bloom you won’t be that upset.
This park consists of 5 separate islands, all home to wildflowers consisting of seaside daisies and beach primroses blooming through winter and spring.
Big Bend National Park
Let’s give California a breather for a minute and go deep, deep, deep into Texas away from all the major cities.
Big Bend National Park is tucked away in West Texas near the border of Mexico and has been trending on social media due to its beautiful scenery for selfie-takers.
Despite its remote location, it’s one of the best places to see the state flower explode in color – the pretty Lupinus subcarnosus, otherwise simply known as bluebonnets.
While it’s all but guaranteed to see these blue beauties lining desolate West Texas highways, bluebonnets transform hillsides into an otherworldly blue hue through the end of March in the right conditions.
Many species of wildflowers thrive in the park, giving the usual green landscape a new light of color.
Pinnacles National Park
An hour and a half south of San Jose, California lies a phenomenal National Park with wondrous sites perfect for wildlife spotting, cave exploring, and rock climbing.
Wandering this vast park will make you feel as if you’re on another planet with its wild landscape of gnarly rock formations.
Wildflower season only adds to the allure with its already stunning scenery. Here, however, outdoor lovers can experience the rare Yellow mariposa lily and California jewelflower in addition to more common colorful wildflowers like lupines, poppies, and monkey flowers.
Joshua Tree National Park
This quirky side of California isn’t just upscale desert towns and world-famous music festivals. Joshua Tree National Park, just outside of Palm Springs, is one of the best gambles to witness a superbloom.
Commonly a Spring destination given the great weather, eye-popping flower blooms are just another excuse to visit.
Named after the odd-looking Joshua trees, nature lovers have found the right place with endless sights for photo-ops given the additional 250 species of wildflowers to see, including the California poppy.
Flowers tend to bloom in early spring in lower elevations, rising to higher elevations into the summer months.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
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