A flower-spotters guide to Jack London Park

Wildflower-watchers delight in seeing blossoms along the trails of Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen during wildflower season, which peaks February-August.

To help visitors make the most of the natural splendor, the park provides a free online “Blooming Now” guide to the latest blossoms at the 1,570-acre park, with photos, names, and recently spotted locations.

Visitors can seek out a variety of flowers, with names like California Buttercup, Pacific Hounds Tongue, and Checker Lily.

The “Blooming Now” guide is available beginning in February and will be updated every two weeks through August 31, 2024.

The guide is easy to print or follow online for walkers and hikers as they seek and identify the blooms found along the park’s 29 miles of trails.  (The park does not provide printed versions of the guide.)

For flower-finding success, park visitors are advised to go slowly, look closely, and consider many characteristics. Wildflowers can vary greatly in size, their colors subdued or splashy, appearing alone or abundantly, growing in park habitats sunny or shady, in mixed evergreen forests or wide-open grasslands.

In addition to admiring the wildflowers, visitors can enjoy the park’s historic side and learn about the lives of famed author Jack London and his wife, Charmian, who made the place they called “Beauty Ranch” their home.

Park admission is $10 per vehicle (up to nine passengers).  An annual pass is included in park membership, beginning at $59.  For membership information, visit https://jacklondonpark.com/membership/.