Daffodil Daytrip

Spring has sprung, arriving well before the groundhog’s annual go ahead.  Like most seasonal treasures, the blooming of bulbs and wildflowers operate on Mother Nature’s schedule. Daffodils, in particular, are a blink-and-you-miss-it phenomenon. Amador County’s Daffodil Hill in Volcano opens this week, showcasing hundreds of thousands of daffodil varietals.

This is the 75th season the country hillside has opened its gates to the public. The family-owned business has been cultivating the same grounds for more than a century and multiple generations of the family continue to plant thousands of bulbs each fall. The Hill opens when 25 percent of the bulbs have bloomed and closes (weather dependent) when only 25 percent of the flowers remain.

This hidden gem of an attraction is fleeting, occasionally brief, and unfortunately often overlooked, but well worth a trip off the beaten path.

Other wildflower hikes worth checking out include Table Mountain in Plumas County and the Buttermilk Bend Trail along the Yuba River in Nevada County. Docent-led tours are scheduled every weekend from March 7 through May 10. Also in Nevada County is Ananda Village, which is home to thousands of tulips that bloom annually in this serene mountain setting. This year’s tulip weekends take place the first three weeks of April.