USDA Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers

Pacific Southwest Region

Mt. Eddy wildflowers on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Mt. Eddy wildflowers, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Photo by Julie Kierstead Nelson.

California pitcher plants.
California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica), L. E. Horton Research Natural Area, Six Rivers National Forest. Photo by Sydney Carothers.

antelope brush.
Antelope brush (Purshia glandulosa), Inyo National Forest. Photo by Gerald and Buff Corsi, California Academy of Sciences.

Eighteen national forests in California make up the national forest lands of the Pacific Southwestern Region of the U.S. Forest Service. Much of the Region is within the California floristic province, unique in the United States for its Mediterranean climate of dry, hot summers and wet or snowy winters. Many wildflowers of the California national forests grow nowhere else in the world. From ancient rock gardens to sagebrush steppes to squishy mountain fens, California's native plants are spectacular!

Regional Information

Wildflower Hot Spots of the Eastern Sierra cover.

Wildflower Hot Spots of the Eastern Sierra (PDF, 4.7 MB)
Wildflower Hot Spots of the Eastern Sierra highlights the unique ecology, geology, and unparalleled flora along 150 miles of the Eastern Sierra corridor. Twelve wildflower sites have been selected to represent the diversity of environments that are found throughout the Eastern Sierra. Each site features directions, a map, GPS coordinates, a description of the natural history of the area, and photos. Topics you can learn about include plant rarity, disturbance processes, and the many ways people use plants. "Can You Find…?" proposes a fun challenge for you and your family. For a more in-depth look at the species found at each site, use the plant list featured in the back of this guide. Take the time to stop and smell the flowers in this extraordinary Eastern Sierra region!

Wildflower Viewing Areas for the Pacific Southwest Region

Viewing Area National Forest or Grassland Region State
Bear Creek Trail Angeles Pacific Southwest California
Laguna Meadow Cleveland Pacific Southwest California
Caples Creek Trail Eldorado Pacific Southwest California
Lyons Creek Trail Eldorado Pacific Southwest California
Rock Creek Road Eldorado Pacific Southwest California
Thunder Mountain Trail Eldorado Pacific Southwest California
Traverse Creek Botanical Special Interest Area Eldorado Pacific Southwest California
McGee Canyon Inyo Pacific Southwest California
Parker Bench Inyo Pacific Southwest California
Kangaroo Lake Botanical Special Interest Area: The Fen Trail Klamath Pacific Southwest California
Mt. Ashland - Siskiyou Peak Botanical Special Interest Area Klamath Pacific Southwest California
Baldwin Meadow Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Pacific Southwest California
Frederick's Meadow Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Pacific Southwest California
Meeks Bay Trail Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Pacific Southwest California
Tahoe Rim Trail Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Pacific Southwest California
Taylor Creek Visitor Center Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Pacific Southwest California
Diamond Mountains Lassen Pacific Southwest California
Pine Creek Valley Lassen Pacific Southwest California
Willow Lake Botanical Special Interest Area Lassen Pacific Southwest California
Cuesta Ridge Botanical Special Interest Area Los Padres Pacific Southwest California
Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area Los Padres Pacific Southwest California
Gillem Bluff Modoc Pacific Southwest California
Butterfly Valley Botanical Area Plumas Pacific Southwest California
Alpine Pedal Path San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
North Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
The Big Bear Discovery Center San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
Garner Valley San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument San Bernardino Pacific Southwest California
Bodfish Piute Cypress Grove Sequoia Pacific Southwest California
Slate Mountain Botanical Area Sequoia Pacific Southwest California
Middle Falls of the McCloud River Trail Shasta-Trinity Pacific Southwest California
Mt. Shasta Interpretive Garden Shasta-Trinity Pacific Southwest California
Scott Mountain Crest from China Mountain to Cory Peak Shasta-Trinity Pacific Southwest California
Squaw Valley Creek Trail Shasta-Trinity Pacific Southwest California
Waters Gulch Trail Shasta-Trinity Pacific Southwest California
Kings River Trail Sierra Pacific Southwest California
Nelder Grove Sierra Pacific Southwest California
Bear Basin Butte Botanical Area Six Rivers Pacific Southwest California
Horse Mountain Botanical Area Six Rivers Pacific Southwest California
North Fork Smith Botanical Area Six Rivers Pacific Southwest California
Trail of the Gargoyles Stanislaus Pacific Southwest California
Sonora Pass and Saint Mary’s Pass Stanislaus Pacific Southwest California
Trumbull Peak Historic and Botanic Special Interest Area Stanislaus Pacific Southwest California
Donner Camp Picnic Area Tahoe Pacific Southwest California
Loney Meadow Interpretive Trail Tahoe Pacific Southwest California

Rare Plant Conservation Success Stories

Wildflower Photographs

Drummond's anemone.
Drummond's anemone (Anemone drummondii). Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU). Photo by Steve Matson, 2005.

Scarlet milkvetch.
Scarlet milkvetch (Astragalus coccineus). San Bernardino National Forest. Photo by Chris Wagner, 2005.

Yellow mariposa.
Yellow mariposa (Calochortus luteus). Los Padres National Forest. Photo by Christopher Christie, 2005.

Speckled Clarkia.
Speckled Clarkia (Clarkia cylindrica). Los Padres National Forest. Photo by Christopher Christie, 2005.

Bach's calicoflower.
Bach's calicoflower (Downingia bacigalupii). Modoc National Forest. Photo by Gary A. Monroe, 2002.

sand lily.
Sand lily (Leucocrinum montanum). Modoc National Forest. Photo by Cheryl Beyer, 2005.

Cliff maids.
Cliff maids (Lewisia cotyledon). Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Photo by Ken DeCamp, 2006.

Tricolor monkeyflower.
Tricolor monkeyflower (Mimulus tricolor). Stanislaus National Forest. Photo by Steve Schoenig, 2001.

Indian warrior.
Indian warrior (Pedicularis densiflora). Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Photo by Cheryl Beyer, April 2005.

U.S. Forest Service
Rangeland Management
Botany Program
1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop Code: 1103
Washington DC 20250-1103

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Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/pacificsouthwest/index.php
Last modified: March 05, 2012