The Flower Fields are one of my favorite things to do in San Diego. They are located in Carlsbad which is North County of San Diego. Located on over 50 acres you can view multicolored ranunculus. Not only are you surrounded by hundreds of flowers but you have stunning views of the ocean in the distance.

The fields are a result of Luther Gage and his floral cultivation in the early 1920’s. Over the years the work continued to cultivate the flowers along the coast and the Flower Fields were born.

The Flower Fields are open from beginning of March through Mid May, depending on the blooms. Occasionally they close early if the blooms die early, or they can stay open later if the blooms hold on longer. My recommendation is to visit beginning of April that tends to be the best blooms! You also want to go during the weekdays if possible, weekends can get crazy packed.

Make sure to buy your tickets in ADVANCE, they no longer allow you to buy at the gate.  Please also make sure to NOT CROSS the tape. As you walk along the fields you will notice there are barriers to keep you off the flowers.

While you may see people cross the tape, you do risk being asked to leave. Plus you can damage the flowers. Trust me you can still get stunning flower shots without needing to walk out past the tape. Its all about perspective, all of my photos are outside of the tape and you can’t even tell!

As mentioned above you can’t cross the tape to get photos, you also can’t bring tripods. There is a full list on their website of what is allowed in terms of photography. Check that out here before your visit. Angles will be your best friend here! They do have little sections set up specifically to get close to the flowers without walking on them.

If you are looking to get the perfect Instagram shot you will want to avoid going during the weekend. Crowds will be inevitable and it will make it a little harder to capture your shot. You also want to either go first thing in the AM to avoid crowds or one of the last entry. Now if you go early be mindful its on the coast and you may have grey skies due to the marine layer. Going in the late afternoon you will still have low crowds and stunning golden hour shots.

There is no shade so make sure to either wear a hat or have sunscreen it can get warm quick! Make sure to be ready for all the dust, the walking path is dirt. Explore Carlsbad after your visit there is tons to do and one of the best dining spots Le Papagayo is an absolute must!

Now be free and wander far and as always leave me a comment if you try any of my recommendations! I would love to hear your stories.