Say what you will about Sunol — that unincorporated community in Alameda County that once elected a dog mayor — but it has some great wildflower viewing.
In the Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve, the wildflower season starts on March 23 and runs ’til around the beginning of May. Expect lots of wild poppies, Butterfly Mariposa lilies and zigzag larkspur. To celebrate the season, the East Bay Regional Park District has arranged a full month of flower-themed activities. You can attend guided hikes with a naturalist, hunt for pollinators and birds, and even participate in the art of “Tataki Zomé” — pounding plant parts to make cool designs on a bandana.
The wilderness preserve tends to get busy on weekends during peak viewing and may close its gates midday due to capacity limits, so plan accordingly. Remember to take only photos, not flowers, and don’t stray off the trail and trample the plants. That can create ugly dead zones that last for years.
A full listing of events that the park district has planned from now until late April is available at ebparks.org/parks/sunol. Or check out a sampling of fun activities below. Got tips for other places in the Bay Area to see great wildflowers? Drop it in the suggestion box below.
Wildflower Explorations
March 23-April 28, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m.
Wildflower Explorations are first come, first served with sign-ups required the morning-of at the Sunol Visitor Center.
Naturalist Choice Outings
March 23-April 28 Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m.
These events include Hunt for Pollinators (March 24, April 14), Wildflowers of Sunol (March 30, April 7, April 13), an Easter Family Wildflower Exploration (April 6), a Bird Outing (April 20) and Spring Nature Journaling (April 21).
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Spring Mingle
March 30, April 7 and April 13 at 9 a.m.
Looking to meet new people and make new friends with the same love of nature? Explore the parks in your backyard while meeting new neighbors. Ages 18 and up.
Art of Tataki Zomé (registration required)
April 21, 9 a.m.-noon
Celebrate Spring with Tataki Zomé, the Japanese art of pounding fresh plant parts into cloth or paper. Enjoy a spring wildflower hike then create a design on a bandana to take home.
Wildflower Bioblitz (registration required)
April 28, 9-11 a.m.
Find, identify and record wildflowers — learn how to identify some common wildflowers with interpretive staff as we hike around the park. No prior training or experience necessary.
A dog runs through a field of wildflowers on an early morning day at Shell Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek in this 2022 file photo. With the wildflower season beginning, one of the best places for viewing the blooms is Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve in southern Alameda County. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
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