Discover the beauty of the outdoors at a 2016 Wanderlust Festival.
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When most of us think of the desert, we imagine a dry stretch of land dusted with a few cacti and Joshua trees. Occasionally, you’ll see a pop of color, but for the most part, the desert lacks the lush foliage of a deciduous forest.
Until now. For a few days this month, one of the hottest places on Earth will be flooded with wildflowers.
According to National Geographic, Death Valley has wildflower blooms every year. This year, however, the famous desert will feature a “super bloom,” triggered by the abnormally heavy storms that occurred in the fall. It will be the biggest bloom for Death Valley in over a decade.
The plants include the Desert Gold, Golden Evening Primrose, and Desert Five-spot varieties, which means a field of purple, pink, and yellow flowers. The video below captures some of the breathtaking imagery.
Death Valley is arguably one of the most beautiful desert parks in North America. It’s widely recognized for its rolling dunes and contrasting landscapes, so this surge of wildlife will be a unique sight. From NPR:
It’s one of the the driest places in North America. With only about 2 inches of rain annually, the lower park elevations — where the bloom started — are typically “a landscape of salt flats, sand dunes and rocky mountains vegetated by a few hardy shrubs and small trees.”
Instagram is featuring its own “super bloom” as fans begin to wildflower fans begin to fill their feed with photographs of the natural phenomenon.
The sea of flowers make it perfect for a day of skipping and photoshoots.
super bloom with @ememmatthews A photo posted by Jeffrey (@_just_jeffrey) on
If you plan on visiting the super bloom, be sure to avoid the protected sites and trampling the plants. It’s also forbidden to pick the flowers, as rangers would like the park visitors to admire with their eyes.
Also consider a carpool. This explosion of color is bound to get hundreds of visitors.
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Amanda Kohr is a 25-year-old writer and photographer with a penchant for yoga, food, and travel. She prefers to bathe in the moonlight rather than the sun, and enjoys living in a state of the three C’s: cozy, creative, and curious. When she’s not writing, you can find her driving her VW Bug, looking for the next roadside attraction or family diner. She also roams the internet at amandakohr.com and through Instagram.