(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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A small California city that was overrun by visitors four years ago when heavy winter rains produced a “superbloom” of wild poppies has a message for the public after this year’s deluge: Do not come. You could be arrested.
The poppies are beginning to bloom but so far on a small scale — and the canyon where they grow and parking areas are now off-limits, according to Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson.
California Highway Patrol Lt. Craig Palmer said the agency had already begun saturation patrols of the area and that freeway shoulders are for use only in emergencies.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco warned that there would be zero tolerance for parking violations and the result could be a citation, towing or worse.
Citing safety concerns, officials closed all trails to Walker Canyon, which played host to tens of thousands of people during a superbloom in 2019.
Wildflowers are blooming on the hillsides of Lake Elsinore, and though it’s not clear whether it will be a “superbloom,” local officials are bracing for the onslaught of traffic and tourists.
