For photography lovers: Where to capture stunning wildflowers
What's the story
Roadside wildflower spots present a perfect photography opportunity. These picturesque spots, which are often overlooked, are filled with bright colors and different plants, making your photo collection even more beautiful. Whether you're an amateur or a seasoned photographer, capturing these beauties of nature is both rewarding and inspiring. Check out these top spots to find breathtaking wildflowers on your next photography trip.
Drive 1
Blue Ridge Parkway blooms
The Blue Ridge Parkway is famous for its stunning views and rich wildflowers. Stretching for more than 400 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, this drive provides plenty of pull-offs for photographers to click fields of blooming flowers with rolling hills in the background. Spring and early summer is the best time to visit when the flowers are in full bloom.
Drive 2
Texas Hill Country blossoms
Texas Hill Country is known for its colorful bluebonnets that blanket the terrain each spring. There are plenty of spots in the region to click photographs with these iconic flowers along with other natives like Indian paintbrushes and coreopsis. The ideal time to visit would be between March-April when the blooms are at their peak.
Drive 3
California's Antelope Valley poppies
California's Antelope Valley has one of the most stunning displays of poppies in the US. The bright orange poppies look breathtakingly beautiful against the desert landscape and are a photographer's dream for dramatic shots. Late winter through early spring is when the flowers are usually the most abundant.
Drive 4
Great Smoky Mountains flora
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has more than 1,500 species of flowering plants, making it a photographer's dream come true. From trilliums to rhododendrons, this park has a lot to offer in terms of the variety of flowers across elevations and seasons. However, springtime is when the park explodes with colors as many species bloom together.
Drive 5
Colorado's Crested Butte wildflowers
Crested Butte in Colorado is the "Wildflower Capital" because of the insane variety it offers during summers. Photographers swarm here every July when they hold their annual festival, solely dedicated to celebrating these gorgeous blooms across alpine meadows with mind-blowing mountainscapes—an experience you won't forget, not just visually but culturally too.