Pink poppies along Interstate 40 in North Carolina
Take plenty of insect repellent if you go exploring in this special area!
grand prize winner’s artwork appears on the next year’s poster for the festival. Whether you participate in this unique National Park event or simply stroll on the wildflower lined trails on your own (check out the Alpine Pond Loop), the cornucopia of mid-summer blooms is a must see.
Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah— A Profusion of Color!
In the middle of July, sensational Cedar Breaks National Monument erupts in a vibrant display of wildflowers at 10,000 feet elevation. The flowers are so abundant that the National Park Service hosts a week-long Wildflower Festival there every year. Rangers lead Wildflower Walks on trails through the park’s meadows (generally a mile long or less) and they discuss not only how the flowers have adapted to the very harsh high desert environment, but which creatures do the vital work of pollination. Similar talks are also held in the park amphitheater for those who don’t wish to hike. For artists and children, as well as the kid in all of us, the Blooms of the Breaks Art Contest invites everyone to grab some art supplies or a camera and capture images of the stunning wildflowers enriched by their own creative vision. The
I-40 in North Carolina— Fields of Thigh-High Pink Poppies
One of our most memorable unexpected wildflower encounters was in mid-May on the side of I-40 in North Carolina. We were chatting away with each other as we drove on the interstate, fifth-wheel in tow, idly staring out the window. Suddenly, a vast field of enormous pink and red flowers appeared on the side of the highway. We slowed to take a closer look and noticed that people were pulling over into the breakdown lane to get out and take photos. We couldn’t help but join them. The field was so immense there was plenty of time to slow down and find a spot to park. In no time we were wandering through acres
STOP AND SMELL THE WILDFLOWERS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2026 | 25
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