Elsinore 'Super Bloom' Leads To Super Crowds, Chaos

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Call it poppy-geddon. The beautiful wildflowers flanking Lake Elsinore are becoming more than the city can handle, drawing an influx of crowds from all over — along with several major headaches. Over the weekend, it was enough to prompt the city to close down access to a local trail.

Walker Canyon, which is arguably one of the most popular spots for a selfie these days in Southern California, was closed on Sunday. Though it was reopened on Monday morning, by noon the mayor was again asking people to steer clear.

"We expended lots of resources over the weekend, and we have folks out there ticketing again, but we are full," Lake Elsinore Mayor Steve Manos said Monday while standing at the entrance to Walker Canyon. "If you could come back another day, we would really appreciate that."

"We re-opened Walker Canyon because we don't have the resources to keep it closed," he said. "It's an entire mountain. Please be patient. We are working on a solution."

At one point Sunday, the California Highway Patrol estimated that 500 vehicles had parked on the shoulder of Interstate 15 at Lake Street, where occupants headed off into the canyon to view masses of yellow poppies blanketing hillsides, in what's been named the "Super Bloom."

Lake Street became what Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, a longtime Lake Elsinore resident, compared to a parking lot, with traffic barely budging, causing side streets to become blocked.

"I hear Anza-Borrego is nice," she said suggestively in a tweet Sunday.

Another Lake Elsinore resident, Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, said both I-15 and state Route 74 were "overwhelmed" Saturday and Sunday with "foolish poppy picture (takers) and hikers, who are literally parking on the freeway and highway right-of-ways, causing massive traffic and safety hazards."

"Pray for very targeted HEAVY RAINS this next weekend!" Jeffries wrote on his Facebook page.

City of Lake Elsinore video showed crowds returning to the area Monday, but nothing on the order of a stampede along the Walker Canyon Trail.

The city stressed that parking is limited and even suggested the following alternative locations to view wildflowers:

• Harford Spring Reserve, 21470 Gavilan Road, Perris, CA
• Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, 39400 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta, CA 92562
• Box Springs Mountain Reserve, 3699 Box Springs Mountain Road, Moreno Valley, CA 92557
• Hidden Valley Wildlife Area, 11401, Arlington Avenue, Riverside, CA 92505

Lake Elsinore area residents fumed in social media posts that vegetation was being needlessly trampled and not enough law enforcement resources were in place to deter motorists from taking hazardous risks to reach the location.

The city address some of the local concerns view a social media post:

Lake Elsinore, we truly understand how difficult this natural phenomenon has been on our residents. This is something unlike anything we have ever experienced in our City and may never again. It demonstrates the #ExtremeBeauty that we have right here in our City, which is one of many reasons so many have chosen Lake Elsinore as their home.

Lake Elsinore is the destination for so many unique and incredible features. And, this attraction has brought thousands of people from around the world to not only see our City, but to shop in our stores and dine in our restaurants.

The City continues to evaluate all possible options to reduce the strain on our community, the freeway, and local roadways. At this time, it is not feasible for us to keep visitors away from #WalkerCanyon.

We are working on a new plan and new options for the coming weekend and will be sure to share this with our community as soon as possible.

A shuttle service was established over the weekend at the Lake Elsinore Outlets to ferry visitors to the poppy fields, but that was canceled Sunday when traffic conditions became unbearable.

At one point Sunday, the county's Emergency Management Department Operations Center was activated, and personnel were requested to help coordinate with municipal officials on how to mitigate traffic congestion. The EMD has been working overtime over the last three months to ensure public safety during winter storms, with the threat of flooding, mud and debris flows on the eastern boundary of the Cleveland National Forest, just a few miles from Walker Canyon.

Lake Elsinore administrators, Riverside County sheriff's officials, the CHP and county Executive Office staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what preparations are underway to prevent a similar "Super Bloom" scenario from playing out this coming weekend.

SEE ALSO: Super Bloom 2019: People Go Wild Over Flowers In Elsinore

--

— City News Service contributed to this report