Cottonwood Canyon

I went up to Cottonwood Canyon today after I got off work. It was absolutely gorgeous! The hillsides were yellow with Coreopsis, gold with Goldfields and purple with Owl's Clover and Lupine. In a small wash, I also found plenty of Thistle Sage, Tidy Tips, Yellow Pincushion, more Owl's Clover and Lupine, Desert Dandelions, Wild Hyacinth, Popcorn Flower and a few Golden Suncups.

Cottonwood Canyon is about 12 miles west of New Cuyama, off of Highway 166.

My next stop was Wasijoa Road, just down the road east from Cottonwood Canyon. There weren't the spectacular colored hillsides like there were in Cottonwood Canyon, but there were some nice poppy displays along the roadsides. It was late afternoon when I got there, so most of the poppies were closed up. I bet it will look a lot nicer earlier in the day.

Next, was Aliso Canyon Road, east of Wasijoa Road. Not a whole lot of color out there. But right at the turnoff, the hillsides were covered with Yellow Pincushion, Lupine and Wild Heliotrope. About .6 miles from the turnoff, on the left side of the road, is a "mini canyon" full of Thistle Sage, Poppies and Yellow Pincushion. I nearly missed it as I was driving back to the 166. Very pretty indeed! There are no fences, and it is quite close to the road, too.

I am off to Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park (again) tomorrow :)

I posted pictures below. Click on any picture for a much larger view. Enjoy!