Visiting the Carlsbad Flower Fields
Imagine fields of bright and colorful blooms as far as the eye can see. You’re surrounded by flowers dancing in the breeze. This amazing scene can be experienced at the Carlsbad Flower Fields in Southern California.
I first saw a picture of the Carlsbad Flower Fields on Pinterest. I immediately pinned it to one of my travel boards and dreamed of visiting one day. As part of our California road trip this spring, we finally made it. We’re going to share some tips plus more we wish we would’ve known before our visit.
About the Flower Fields
The Carlsbad Flower Fields are made up of 55 acres of Tecolote Giant Ranunculus flowers in various colors.
When to Visit
The Carlsbad Flower Fields are open from March to mid-May. However, we would highly recommend NOT visiting in March. We went the third week of March and only one field had started blooming. This field was also having flowers cut to be sold at the time. Obviously each year is different, but following their Instagram updates, peak bloom is around mid to late April.
Weekends are their busiest days, so we recommend visiting in the morning on a weekday. Even with only one field blooming and everyone being in one area, the crowds were minimal.
Read More : An Adventurous 10-Day Road Trip in California
Admission
The Carlsbad Flower Fields are open daily from 9am-6pm. Tickets can only be purchased online here. The ticket price varies based on the date you select. When purchasing a ticket, you will also have to select a time slot for entry. However, once you enter, you can stay as long as you want up until closing. Your ticket will be emailed to you, and they will scan the barcode upon entry. Parking is included with your ticket, however it does fill up quickly.
It was rainy on the day we were scheduled to visit, and we were able to change our tickets to the following day with no issues.
What to Wear
Wear whatever you’re comfortable in along with close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. While you are not allowed to walk through the flower fields, the area around the fields can be very muddy.
Photography
The Carlsbad Flower Fields have so many picture perfect spots! Cameras and tripods are allowed, but no drones. There are cutouts in the fields with little benches for photos. If you get creative with your angles, you can make it look like you’re standing in the fields. (There was one cutout open when we visited, the other three were roped off for some reason).
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Wagon Rides
There is a wagon ride that goes out to the various fields. It is $8 for adults and $4 for children; payments are made at the wagon loading area. This is a great option when the far fields are the only ones that have bloomed. We didn’t realize there was a wagon until we were halfway to the fields. It was a pretty far walk.
Overall we had a great time visiting the Carlsbad Flower Fields! We hope you found this guide to be helpful for your upcoming visit to the Carlsbad Flower Fields!
