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The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center will be opening for the wildflower season on Saturday, March 14.  

3/13/09
The poppies are here!  We don't have carpets of orange yet, but we have single big, bright orange flowers starting to fill in the south facing slopes.  Many other small wildflowers can be found along the walkways, such as tiny purple pygmy lupine, white forget-me-nots, yellow goldfields and wild parsley, and red maids.  The wildflower blooms generally last from mid-March through mid-May; the peak bloom is usually around mid-April.

Along Lancaster Road , poppies and purple gilia are carpeting the south-facing banks of the road.  Please be cautious when driving around the Reserve!  Watch for doors swinging open, erratic driving as people take pictures out the windows, and children and dogs dashing into the road.

Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat.  The duration and intensity of colors and scents vary from year to year, affected by differences in winter's precipitation.  Wildlife includes gliding hawks, singing meadow larks, lots of side-bloched lizards zipping across the trail, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes.  If you're lucky, you may spot a coyote or bobcat.  Benches located along the trails make good places to sit quietly and watch for wildlife.  Numerous burrows around the trails may house mice, gophers, kangaroo rats, beetles, scorpions, or snakes that have taken them over.

Facilities
The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center, offering a short video, wildlife and plant displays and gift shop, will be open daily for the duration of the wildflower season.  Nearby, shaded picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with an interpretive display and a serene view over the valley to the  San Gabriel Mountains . 

Tours
Beginning March 14, free guided public tours will be offered at:
10 AM & 2 PM weekends
11 AM on weekdays

Private tours for groups of 15 or more can be reserved for Tues and Thurs at 10 AM & 2 PM, and Sunday at 11 AM.  Private tour reservations must be made 1 month in advance by calling                (661) 942-0662         or email MDIC@parks.ca.gov.  For-Profit groups and tour companies will be charged $5 per person in advance, in addition to parking fees. There is no per-person fee for schools, non-profit organizations, clubs, etc.  Carpooling is recommended.

Hours
The park is open sunrise to sunset.
The Interpretive Center will be open beginning March 14:
Weekdays 10 AM - 4 PM
Weekends 9 AM - 5 PMCurrently:
$5 per vehicle
$4 per vehicle with a senior on board (62 and over)
$2.50 per vehicle with DPR Disabled Discount Card (see below)

Beginning March 14: 
$8 per vehicle
$7 per vehicle with a senior on board (62 and over)
$4 per vehicle with DPR Disabled Discount Card (see below)
 
Small busses (9-24 passengers): $50
Large busses (25 or more passengers): $100

Vehicle entrance for K-12 School Groups is free with advance registration.
Day-Use tickets are valid for entrance on the same day to any other California State Park charging the same or lower rates.
Click here for information on applying for our Golden Poppy, Annual Day-Use, Disabled Discount, Distinguished Veterans, and Golden Bear Passes .