Each spring, the reserve becomes a breathtaking spectacle as the state's official flower, the California poppy ... the fields ...

This simple fact makes the poppy fields in Carlsbad ... or August when the fragrant, purple flowers are at their peak. The town also hosts a large lavender festival the 3rd weekend in July ...

California transforms in spring with rolling hills of poppies and desert valleys bursting with color. Here’s where to catch the season’s best blooms.