If you’re looking for an easy hike to spot wildflowers during the Superbloom, then Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake might just be for you! At 2.1 miles, this is a relatively short hike filled with an abundance of flowers. There’s a little over 250 ft of elevation gain making this a great hike for beginners and families. The views of the lake and San Bernardino mountains make for a beautiful hike.
There’s plenty of things to love about hiking Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake. This hike does attract a lot of visitors. Please be patient when visiting during peak times and always leave no trace. This post will go over everything you need to know about hiking Wildflower Trail including costs, hours, and what to expect on the trail.
Table of Contents
Diamond Valley Lake Wildflower Trail Snapshot
- Distance: 2.1 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- No dogs allowed
- Family friendly
- Entrance fees (read below)
- AllTrails Link
Things to note:
No swimming, no bbq’s, no alcohol, and no dogs are permitted at Diamond Valley.
If you’re looking for other hikes with water check out Three Sisters Falls. Challenging but rewarding!
Diamond Valley Lake Fees
There is an entrance fee for hiking Wildflower Trail. Here’s the cost breakdown:
$11 per vehicle plus $4 per person that’s hiking. For two people it costs $19 total. This is a day use fee meaning you cannot use the same pass over multiple days. Use it or lose it.
There are separate fees/rules for boating and fishing. Check out their website for more info on boating fees.
Diamond Valley Lake Hours
The lake is open Wed-Sun 6:30am – 6:00pm (No entrance after 5:00pm).
Diamond Valley Lake (and Wildflower Trail) is closed on Monday’s and Tuesdays.
What to Expect on the Trail
The trail is made up of packed dirt. It’s a wide hiking path that’s shared with bikers. Wildflower Trail starts at the parking lot. You’ll see a huge banner once you drive in labeling the trail “Wildflower Trail.” At the trailhead, employees will be checking for admission tickets so keep those handy.
The 2.1 mile trail consists of two loops. Most of the elevation gain is on the second loop. There’s a small summit, and a few picnic benches along the way to rest and enjoy the views. On one side of the trail you’ll get panoramic views of Diamond Lake. On the other side of the trail, you’ll be able to see the San Bernardino Mountains.
When I did this hike in late March, the mountains were still snow capped. It’s a beautiful hike from start to finish.
After reaching the summit on the second loop, the hike is all downhill back to the parking lot. The hike itself doesn’t take too long (less than an hour) but taking pictures and admiring the view adds extra time.
Best time to hike Wildflower Trail
While different wildflowers bloom at different times of the year, in general the best time to hike Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake is late March through April.
Winter of 2022-2023 brought unprecedented rainfall and with that comes the so cal super bloom. Once spring is in full swing, this area will see an abundance of natural wildflowers. Specifically flowers that have been dormant for years will sprout.
I did this hike on March 26, 2023 and the hills were covered in California Poppy’s. The flowers at this time still hadn’t opened, signifying that they weren’t in full bloom just yet. Employees at the marina are expecting more wildflowers to bloom at the beginning of April after another rainfall and more sunshine.
Types of Wildflowers at Diamond Valley Lake
As of late March, the hills were predominantly covered in California Poppy’s. Other flowers you’ll see include Baby Blue Eyes, California Goldfields, Brittlebush, Canterbury Bells, and many others.
Upon entry, you’ll receive a pamphlet listing the different wildflowers with pictures that’ll help guide you through on your hike.
What is a super bloom?
A superbloom is a rare occurrence where thousands of dormant wildflower seeds sprout at the same time. These wildflowers will cover the landscape in a variety of bright beautiful colors. It takes multiple factors for a superbloom to happen but one of the most important things needed is an extremely wet winter which is rare on its own. The last superbloom California experienced was in 2019.
Every location varies on when the superbloom will reach its “peak.” The wildflowers at Diamond Valley Lake are expected to reach their peak sometime between late March and mid-April. Wildflowers can typically be seen until June when summer hits and the flowers dry up.
Stay on the trail
The #1 rule while hiking Wildflower Trail is stay on the trail. Do not walk off the path and into the flower fields. Doing so kills the wildflowers and frankly doesn’t get you any better of a picture. There’s plenty of photo opportunities on the designated path. There’s absolutely no reason for people to be trampling over wildflowers. It’s these exact reasons and more that Lake Elsinore closed off all public access to their wildflower hiking trails.
Always, leave no trace.
Get there early
The best tip I can give you when hiking Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake is to get there early, especially on the weekends. We arrived at about 7:15 am and it took us 15 minutes to pay/ park. I counted about 20 cars in front of us. When we left at 9:30 am that same line had more than tripled in length. It’s not absurd to wait an hour or more to get in/ park.
Diamond Valley Lake opens at 6:30am Wed-Sun. The earlier you get there, the better. Regardless of when you do arrive, expect to see crowds and come prepared to share the trail with bikers. This is by no means a “hidden gem.” The wildflowers attract crowds from all over So Cal. With Walker Canyon closing off public access, I imagine Diamond Valley Lake receiving even more visitors.
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