Given the possible unpleasantness in dealing with the Tejon Ranch while photographing the wildflowers around Arvin has made me wonder where other good photo sites with similiar geography might be (eastern central valley turning into hills)? If it's such a hasstle, why is it so often photographed? Is it because it's one of the first areas to "pop", or is it because it is so great? There must be other spots along the eastern central valley that have put on a fabulous show....
PS I'm not asking for general recommendations for California spring wildflowers...just for other eastern central valley turning-into-hills locations.
Well, I was out at Arvin in 2008 and they had some pretty nice flowers out there.. So I did what I did back in 2003 when the great bollm occured and hopped the fence. Mind you there are no signs up regarding No Trespassing so i went in.
Was out there for a few hours in the monring and then got chased away by someone who said he was security for the Ranch, but no one at the Ranch offices could verify this individual ..
So, Tony I am in the same predicament as you regarding photography out there.. Should I try again and waste a whole day if I get chased away or look elsewhere.
There are other locations south toward Lake Elsinore, but they don't have the variety of flowers that the Arvin hills have...
I have not been there but have driven by it, but not in wildflower season. Carrizo Plains State Park. Excuse me Carrizo Plains National Monument. They of course have a website.
Paul
Posted by Derek Sedillo on March 8, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Hey Tony,
I am thinking the exact same thing as you. I saw the photos of that area last year and it was other worldly from the people who actually made it out to hike amoung the flowers. But then again I have seen great shots of the Carrizo Plains, Poppy Reserve, Gorman area just off the Fwy. So I am planning on heading out that way in the next several weeks.
With all the recent hoopla associate with Arvin combined with the uptight Tejon Ranch owners/developers I don't want to focus on that location alone. Quite honestly I would also rather go somewhere more open, less crouded and less publicized. There are going to be places which are lesser known and probably not even mentioned on public forums such as this which are really nice.
There is always that tension between sharing a really great find and the threat of attracting hordes of ppl to an awesome location painted with thick, beautiful flowers. I was just at such a place this weekend thanks to Jay. But while standing amoungst beautiful fields of poppies, lupines and other flowers I couldn't help but think how quickly the area could become trampled. I am sure there are photographers and naturalists who have wrestled with similar dilemas.
The internet is a double edge shord. There are so many cool places I wouldn't have discovered if it wasn't for great sites like this. But I also wonder if places like Arvin would even be on the map if it wasn't for the internet, except for select locals in-the-know.
I can think of at least two options that avoid Tejon Ranch:
1) Brekinridge road from Bakersfield to the top of Brekenridge Mountain, then down to Havilla. Havilla was the original County seat and a gold mining camp. From there you can go South through Walker Basin and Caliente. When you get to Hwy 58, you will be at the top of the road that drops you down into Arvin and the Tejon Ranch area. You might catch some spectacular sunset light, with expansive vistas as you work your way down the hill into Arvin.
At Havila, you have the option to go North to Lake Isabella and come back down the Kern Canyon. When the flowers are poping, the canyon can put on a good show, plus you have the river to work with. Water flow is very high this time of year. As you leave Lake Isabella, traveling West on Hwy 178, you will be on a freeway. However, after a few miles you will see a turn off to the old canyon road on the south side of 178. The sign may say Hobo Camp Ground. I can't remember. This is a worthwhile alternative to the freeway. There are many places to stop and if you are interested, I can give you directions to one of the best hot springs ever. There is no guarantee that my friend Shannon will be there, but sometimes a pot luck can be fun too.
2) Take Hwy 178 East from Bakersfield to about 1.5 miles before you reach the mouth of the Kern Cayon. Rancharia Road is on the North side. It crosses the river and climbs through hilly country up to Sierra Summit, then you can either go East, down to Lake Isabella and return via the Kern Canyon, or you can go West and drop down to Glennville and back to Bakersfield. Both options are excellent.
The first few miles of Rancharia Road pass through a ranch, but then it is all National Forest. Great scenes, old cabins, oak trees, etc. This is a dirt road most of the way but it is well maintained and any viehicle can drive it easily. There is a fire lookout tower along the way. The look out offers great views of the Kern Canyon.
Rancharia Road is not fully passable right now due to snow above 4,500 ft. If you go in the next few weeks, you most likely will need to backtrack. But if you go a little later in the Spring, this is a wonderful loop.
Posted by Robert Dayton on March 9, 2010 at 12:13 AM
Another side trip off of Roland's adventure can be made from either Tehachapi or Caliente. The Tehachapi Woodford road. That parallels HWY 58 on the West. If your even partly interested in railroads this is also the route between Mojave and Bakersfield. There is the famous "Loop" at Walong and the Caliente curve. Passing through Caliente you can travel all the way to Havilah and beyond. I'm sure these hills will be covered with flowers and Oaks leafing out. The trip between Caliente and Havilah takes you through allot of heavily wooded Oak and scrub chaparral mixed with grasslands. No doubt there will be flowers blooming there. I'm working myself up for wildflower excursion. After they had retired mainline steam on the railroad every spring while they still had back up locomotives Southern Pacific would run a railfan trip of double headed steam they called the "Wildflower special." nuff said.
Paul
Posted by David Senesac on March 11, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Most foothill areas of the Central Valley, not only in those southeast areas you refer to but also elsewhere, have been ranching cattle grazing lands for a century or more. Thus long ago considerable foothill landscapes were burned and cleared of woodlands except in hard to deal with riparian corriders or steep hillside. Additionally ranchers used oaks and other trees on their properties for firewood. Over decades the resulting landscapes of green grasslands with sparse dotting of blue oaks behind barbed wire with NO TRESPASSING signs evolved. In recent decades some of those areas near urban areas have come under interest of home project developers that are now turning them into disgusting foothill urban sprawl. Very little of such lands has been made into publicly accessible parklands because for most of the year they are hot, dry, visually brown, and unpleasant. That contrasts with the couple month period at the end of our rainy season when they are beautiful vibrant green with wildflowers. It is not a time of year most Californians traditionally have associated with vacations or road trips so for the most part is out of sight and not a concern.
Thus for the most part trying to find photographic locations in those areas is going to be frustrating. One key is trying to find all public lands. BLM and state lands especially don't tend to show on maps. Additionally conservations organizations, public land trusts, and open space districts are now buying up some of those lands, some of which can be accessed. They are not always posted so on fencing and in fact are frequently still leased out for cattle grazing. There are obscure web sites where some of that information is available and is up to individuals to dig it out. I personally have a long list of such places and don't have an interest in letting the general public in on such because the result is likely to end up in trampling like at Shell Creek where a mere decade ago there were just a few of us visiting.
Additionally I have occasionally researched who owns specific grazing lands and then approached landowners requesting limited entry. Most have never had anyone make such a request and are immediately suspicious and untrusting. So it is up to a person to make a request carefully and such wories. A few seeing one is a pro are all smiles and appreciate others viewing their lands beautiful. However many country folk don't easily trust urban people enough to allow access onto their property. One thing to say is that you are not going to advertise to anyone else that you were given access because the last thing they want to see is someone else coming up soon after and making the same request.
In the southern San Joaquin Valley on both sides of the valley are also considerable oil producing lands owned by oil companies. They are always very much posted with NO TRESPASSING signs, have no interest in allowing access, and have the clout to make for an unpleasant experience if caught by their security people. East of Bakersfield there are alot of such areas along rural roads where one will see considerable wildflowers now in mid March but need to be content to stay behind roadside fencing.
Discussion
7 repliesPS I'm not asking for general recommendations for California spring wildflowers...just for other eastern central valley turning-into-hills locations.
Was out there for a few hours in the monring and then got chased away by someone who said he was security for the Ranch, but no one at the Ranch offices could verify this individual ..
So, Tony I am in the same predicament as you regarding photography out there.. Should I try again and waste a whole day if I get chased away or look elsewhere.
There are other locations south toward Lake Elsinore, but they don't have the variety of flowers that the Arvin hills have...
Paul
I am thinking the exact same thing as you. I saw the photos of that area last year and it was other worldly from the people who actually made it out to hike amoung the flowers. But then again I have seen great shots of the Carrizo Plains, Poppy Reserve, Gorman area just off the Fwy. So I am planning on heading out that way in the next several weeks.
With all the recent hoopla associate with Arvin combined with the uptight Tejon Ranch owners/developers I don't want to focus on that location alone. Quite honestly I would also rather go somewhere more open, less crouded and less publicized. There are going to be places which are lesser known and probably not even mentioned on public forums such as this which are really nice.
There is always that tension between sharing a really great find and the threat of attracting hordes of ppl to an awesome location painted with thick, beautiful flowers. I was just at such a place this weekend thanks to Jay. But while standing amoungst beautiful fields of poppies, lupines and other flowers I couldn't help but think how quickly the area could become trampled. I am sure there are photographers and naturalists who have wrestled with similar dilemas.
The internet is a double edge shord. There are so many cool places I wouldn't have discovered if it wasn't for great sites like this. But I also wonder if places like Arvin would even be on the map if it wasn't for the internet, except for select locals in-the-know.
Derek
1) Brekinridge road from Bakersfield to the top of Brekenridge Mountain, then down to Havilla. Havilla was the original County seat and a gold mining camp. From there you can go South through Walker Basin and Caliente. When you get to Hwy 58, you will be at the top of the road that drops you down into Arvin and the Tejon Ranch area. You might catch some spectacular sunset light, with expansive vistas as you work your way down the hill into Arvin.
At Havila, you have the option to go North to Lake Isabella and come back down the Kern Canyon. When the flowers are poping, the canyon can put on a good show, plus you have the river to work with. Water flow is very high this time of year. As you leave Lake Isabella, traveling West on Hwy 178, you will be on a freeway. However, after a few miles you will see a turn off to the old canyon road on the south side of 178. The sign may say Hobo Camp Ground. I can't remember. This is a worthwhile alternative to the freeway. There are many places to stop and if you are interested, I can give you directions to one of the best hot springs ever. There is no guarantee that my friend Shannon will be there, but sometimes a pot luck can be fun too.
2) Take Hwy 178 East from Bakersfield to about 1.5 miles before you reach the mouth of the Kern Cayon. Rancharia Road is on the North side. It crosses the river and climbs through hilly country up to Sierra Summit, then you can either go East, down to Lake Isabella and return via the Kern Canyon, or you can go West and drop down to Glennville and back to Bakersfield. Both options are excellent.
The first few miles of Rancharia Road pass through a ranch, but then it is all National Forest. Great scenes, old cabins, oak trees, etc. This is a dirt road most of the way but it is well maintained and any viehicle can drive it easily. There is a fire lookout tower along the way. The look out offers great views of the Kern Canyon.
Rancharia Road is not fully passable right now due to snow above 4,500 ft. If you go in the next few weeks, you most likely will need to backtrack. But if you go a little later in the Spring, this is a wonderful loop.
Paul
Thus for the most part trying to find photographic locations in those areas is going to be frustrating. One key is trying to find all public lands. BLM and state lands especially don't tend to show on maps. Additionally conservations organizations, public land trusts, and open space districts are now buying up some of those lands, some of which can be accessed. They are not always posted so on fencing and in fact are frequently still leased out for cattle grazing. There are obscure web sites where some of that information is available and is up to individuals to dig it out. I personally have a long list of such places and don't have an interest in letting the general public in on such because the result is likely to end up in trampling like at Shell Creek where a mere decade ago there were just a few of us visiting.
Additionally I have occasionally researched who owns specific grazing lands and then approached landowners requesting limited entry. Most have never had anyone make such a request and are immediately suspicious and untrusting. So it is up to a person to make a request carefully and such wories. A few seeing one is a pro are all smiles and appreciate others viewing their lands beautiful. However many country folk don't easily trust urban people enough to allow access onto their property. One thing to say is that you are not going to advertise to anyone else that you were given access because the last thing they want to see is someone else coming up soon after and making the same request.
In the southern San Joaquin Valley on both sides of the valley are also considerable oil producing lands owned by oil companies. They are always very much posted with NO TRESPASSING signs, have no interest in allowing access, and have the clout to make for an unpleasant experience if caught by their security people. East of Bakersfield there are alot of such areas along rural roads where one will see considerable wildflowers now in mid March but need to be content to stay behind roadside fencing.