Spotting dandelions, the seed component of the Aster family of flowers, along the trail when out hiking for wildflowers is one my favorite experiences in Upper Bidwell Park. Simply put, dandelions have their own beauty! And with such a unique structure, they are always fascinating to look at.

A closer view of a giant dandelion in Upper Bidwell Park.

Some dandelions are literally giant dandelions, 5x as big as the standard sized seed heads. Sometimes they appear perfect to the eye, and sometimes they are far from it.

Sometimes there is only one dandelion or just a few. And then other times, when you are lucky, there is a field full of dandelions. Also included in this gallery are the spikey looking Silverpuffs, not a dandelion, but here for distinction and they are so cool to look at, too!

May and June are the best times to spot Dandelions with Silverpuffs blooming earlier. Hikes often begin with a walk from the last parking area, Diversion Dam. Heading to the wildflower blooms, you can hike the Yahi Trail or walk the main park road. It is the quickest route and often times you can spot dandelions or thistle along the road.

The walk can be a bit dusty, at times and you should always watch for mountain bikers coming downhill (fast). Dry conditions when entering Upper Park can fool you into thinking nothing is in bloom. Not true! You just need to tread further into the park to spot them!

When capturing these images, as with my wildflower images, I work from spaces that I can access without damaging plants or the area. And nearly always along a trail or the park road. I hope you enjoy these fun dandelion images.