Found: The Bay Area’s Best Super Blooms

I always know there’s a super bloom happening when my seasonal allergies go from zero to 60 overnight. While I tend to wallow in my own Claritin sorrows at home, this year I’m going to enjoy the sun and use that allergy medicine I’m living off of to seek some super blooms in the wild.

Bay Area Super Blooms at the  Matt Davis Trail (Stinson Beach) – photo by Sonya Abrams

Note: if you can’t make it this weekend, most hikes with beautiful flowers have them from March-May.

Here’s a short list of key spots to find those beautiful blooms near us this sunny weekend.

North Bay Super Blooms:

Matt Davis Trail to Steep Ravine

Stinson Beach Area
Trail Access: 6456 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley,
Online Trail Link

Tennessee Valley – Marincello Trail Loop

Marin Headlands
Trail Access: Tennessee Valley Trailhead
Online Trail Link

Bay Area Super Blooms at the Marincello Trail Loop (Mill Valley) – photo by Sonya Abrams

East Bay Super Blooms:

Chapparal, Manhattan Canyon

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Pittsburg, CA
Trail Access: Black Diamond Mines Upper Parking Lot, Pittsburg
Online Trail Link

Alameda Creek Trail

Coyote Hills
Fremont, CA
Trail Access: 8000 Patterson Ranch Rd, Fremont
Online Trail Link

South Bay Super Blooms:

When in doubt on where to go for any hike, check out the local parks websites. Since I live in The East Bay (and grew up in The North Bay), the South Bay is a blur to me so I hopped over to Santa Clara Parks to see where to find those beautiful blooms and found “The best trails in Santa Clara County for Viewing Wildflowers”. The closest of us is Halls Valley Trail but there’s a full on map to outline all of the amazing recommendations they have.

Halls Valley Trail

Joseph D. Grant County Park
18405 Mt. Hamilton Rd., San Jose
Trail Access: Grant Lake Lot
Online Trail Link

Loop Trail

Joseph D. Grant County Park
18405 Mt. Hamilton Rd., San Jose
Trail Access: Stockman’s Parking Lot 

Online Trail Link

When in doubt, make your own super blooms happen!

Here’s my final recommendation. If you’re unable to get out to see flowers in the wild, plant your own seeds to build super blooms of your own in your neighborhood! SF In Bloom has tons of different native wildflower options on their site and you also support a small business while you’re at it. They make urban gardening feel fun in their instructional videos – follow them for some wildflower fun on Instagram.