We’re hitting the tail end of sunflower season here in the Bay Area, and I’m pretty sure that I found the last alive field in the Davis area. This past weekend I drove through miles of dead sunflower fields. I couldn’t help but think of how amazing things would have looked a few weeks earlier. Oh well, there’s always next year!

I will say that if you are already in those areas, you can find a few flowers here and there, but nothing expansive like what you might be expecting.

DISCLAIMER: I have heard from various sources that people are going in and leaving trash and destroying private property. I mention this at the bottom of my article as well under tips, but if it says “no trespassing” DO NOT trespass. These flowers are farmers’ livelihood. If you’re going to visit, take your photos from the side of the road. Or even better, visit at the end of the season like I did when all the seeds have been picked.  OR try to connect with a farmer in advance of your visit as some allow visitors. 

Sunflower Fields: Everything you need to know 

When to visit:

June & July. Some blogs say June, some say July. It all really depends on the year and what the weather is like. Prior to this year, all the articles said all throughout July and part of August. But this year, it was so hot that most fields were dead by mid July. Basically, do your research, and make sure they’re alive and yellow before trekking all the way there.

How to know when they’re ready? UC Davis posts on Twitter, you can check the “Dixon” and “Davis” Instagram tags to see what people are posting.

Where to find the sunflower fields: 

All of Yolo County is filled with sunflowers, but the focus areas are Dixon and Davis. In the high season, you can find them everywhere, as you drive towards the farm land. I would recommend visiting the ones on the UC Davis campus.

• Dixon:
  • The City of Dixon has an FB page with some suggestions
• Davis: 
  • UC Davis – if you drive around UC Davis, there are also quite a few fields

General Tips:

• Attire – Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy! Even if it’s hot outside, you never know when you might step into a muddy ditch. *Believe me, I know this from experience
• Photography – The best time to shoot is early morning or around sunrise. If you go in the middle of the day, you can still get good photos, but you’ll have to deal with a lot of harsh lighting, and can only shoot in certain directions.
• In the field – Most of the fields are on private property, and while there most don’t have “no trespassing” signs, it’s nice not to destroy the fields when you visit. Of course, if there are “no trespassing” signs, please be respectful and don’t waltz into the field. Don’t leave trash, don’t destroy the flowers. You want to leave the fields as you found them!

Looking for more travel ideas? Visit the travel section.