One of our favorite places to see spring wildflowers is Hog Lake Plateau, in the Sacramento River Bend Recreation Area. The plateau is a 5,300-acre property of gently rolling hills in an open blue-oak habitat, bounded by Highway 36, Paynes Creek, the Sacramento River, and Sevenmile Creek.
There are two trailheads off of Highway 36 that provide access to this plateau: Iron Canyon at the south end, and Hog Lake at the north end. Within a quarter mile of either trailhead, many different wildflower species can be seen, especially once the spring bloom really gets going.
On this particular Sunday, we chose to hike cross-country (encouraged in this recreation area) to see what was blooming along the waterways at the southern end of the plateau: an unnamed tributary close to Iron Canyon Trailhead, Sevenmile Creek, and the Sacramento River. We counted ~30 species in bloom. Here are some of the photographs worth sharing. All photos by Don Burk. Enjoy! ~Laurie and Don Burk
