Fields of lupines that rival Folsom Lake’s popular wildflower destination, Beek’s Bight.

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We’ve all seen the photos from prior years – beautiful families, women in gorgeous dresses, frolicking in fields of lupines (trampling the flowers, but that’s beside the point). We know Folsom Lake always sees a superbloom of incredible, bright purple lupines, and most recognize the spot as Beek’s Bight. This year many of us have been disappointed to learn that the road to this spot is still closed, and even if it were open the lake is too full to accommodate the flowers, leaving a lupine-shaped hole in our hearts.

Okay that’s overdramatic, but some people really love their lupines. So I want to offer you another spot to see these fields of flowers:

Rossmoor Bar in Rancho Cordova.

The only catch is that you will have to hike a bit to get here. But not too much! Right now you would need to hike 3 miles to attempt to see lupines at Folsom Lake. Here it’s less than 2.

Details:

• Parking – Lot is located at 1903-1901 Rossmoor Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
• Cost – $7 cash in a self-pay envelope at the parking lot, or free with an annual Sacramento Regional Parks Pass
• Hours – Entrance is open from sunrise to sunset daily
• Conditions – Full sun, dirt or gravel trail
• Distance – 1.4 miles total
• Difficulty – Easy
• Exact “best” flower location – 38.629600,-121.295100
• Accessibility – Bikes on either trail, jogging strollers on the gravel trail, kayaks/SUP
• Dogs – Yes, on leash
• Restrooms – Large, clean restrooms with pit toilets available in the parking lot

More Trail Info:

There isn’t an official trail listed on AllTrails or anywhere else that I can find online. However, at the link below you can find my recent AllTrails activity at Rossmoor Bar. From here you can get directions to the parking lot and “navigate using this route” to find the lupine spot.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/activity-april-19-2025-e720a51-2?p=-1&sh=oshhdc&utm_medium=map_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality

To find it the old fashioned way, from the parking lot just walk toward the river and take a right, then walk until you see the lupines!

The entire hike is 1.4 miles (total for out and back) with 56 feet of elevation gain, so it’s short and flat. It might even be shorter if you take the gravel road both ways. The dirt trail has better river views but the gravel road is even easier – just straight out.

This hike is very walking toddler friendly! Be sure to have them wear good shoes near the water as there are some poky salmon bones laying around from when the water level was higher.

The trail and most of the stops along the river are in full sun. Make sure to bring sun protection and enough water, especially in the summer months.

Notes and Acknowledgement:

All lupine photos were taken on 4/19, and I went back on 4/26 for a recheck. At this time they were still looking the same – beautiful and perfect. They may not last long though, so go while you can!

Please always leave no trace! Remember not to step on, sit on, or pick the flowers. Pack out your trash and if possible, if you see trash left by others, take that as well. Every little bit helps to keep this area clean and beautiful for the future!

Finally, I want to acknowledge that the first I had heard of this trail was from @mildly_scenic on Instagram, and her book of the same name. “Mildly Scenic” by Ashley Shult Langdon gives you all of the details on the best local river spots. Using these details, I visited last year around the same time and found these lupine fields. It’s safe to say this is a springtime hike to remember!