Fifty acres of ranunculus, for about seven weeks a year.
The hillside above Carlsbad turns into bands of colour every spring — the single most photographed thing in the city, and the reason a lot of first visits happen at all.
The fields are planted in long stripes of ranunculus that open in sequence, so the display shifts week to week rather than peaking once. The operators put the crop at roughly 80 million blooms across the ranunculus acreage.
It is a working farm with a short window. The season runs through spring and closes in mid-May, and tickets are sold online in advance only — turning up at the gate without one does not work.
Beyond the fields there are tractor wagon rides across the crop, a butterfly enclosure, and gem panning, with food on site. Pets, drones, bicycles and alcohol are not permitted.
While you're here.
Everything nearby is run by a Carlsbad Chamber member.