This land, south of San Jose, has been a horse and a cattle ranch since 1843 and remains fairly untouched in spots. For the intrepid California travel girls among us, Pacheco State Park is not that far off the beaten track and offers some breathtaking views: the Central Valley to the east and the Santa Clara Valley to the west. It also serves up some great wildflower displays, from fairy rings of flowers edging vernal pools to swaths of poppies and lupine on hills overlooking San Luis Reservoir.
Park naturalist Jennifer Morgan will help you find the wildflowers on free guided hikes every Saturday and Sunday in April (no hike on Easter Sunday). And you’ll learn about the Native American and pioneer uses of plants and rich history of Pacheco Pass. It’s one of the newer and less developed parks and the trail system is still being worked on, so its good to have a guide here.
Details: The hike is about 2 miles long and is classed as moderate. Time: 10:00 a.m. – noon every Saturday and Sunday in April (no hikes Easter Sunday, April 12th)starting March 29.
Pacheco State Park is located 18 miles west of Los Banos and 20 miles east of Gilroy on “Dinosaur Point” Road off of Highway 152. Turn south onto Dinosaur Point Road, then take the first right, through the park gate. Fees: $5 day use fee per vehicle
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1 comment:
The Colorado high country is still blanketed in snow. In fact, after a (relatively) mild most-of-March with great skiing, your enticing wildflower post is a reminder that when all that melts, the Rockies will be carptered in wildflowers too. We just have to wait till June (July for peak flower season)!
Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com
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