Record rainfall this winter has sparked one of the most beautiful blooms of desert flowers in recent memory. Visitors have been flocking to the usually isolated town of Lake Elsinore hoping to frolic through majestic poppy fields, and capture the experience for social media.
However the influx of visitors has left the city at its wits end on how to handle the traffic and mitigate the damage caused by derelict trail hoppers. After the situation had “escalated beyond [their] available resources,” Lake Elsinore announced via Facebook on Sunday that access to Walker Canyon, the home of the super bloom, would be closed until further notice.
Calling the situation this past weekend “unbearable,” the Facebook post states that all shuttles and entrance to the Canyon would be closed and no “viewing or visiting” would be permitted.
The city said it will evaluate all options this week including “ways to shut this down.” The shut-down of the fields should be a reminder to visitors to stay on the beaten path or risk ruining this once in a decade natural phenomenon which should be for all to enjoy.
Read more at the LA Times.
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