Figueroa Mountain is located in the Los Padres National Forest northeast of Los Olivos, CA and 50 miles north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Mountains. We try to visit this area each year for the poppy and lupine bloom. Over 15 years the bloom has ranged from virtually non-existent to spectacular as it was this year. Wildfire burned this area five years ago and resulted in reduced blooms for several years. The area (like all of California) has also suffered from a 10-year drought that was broken so far in 2023.
An ocean marine layer flows in from the nearby Pacific Ocean when land temperatures rise above ocean temperatures. Grape growers in most California grape growing areas depend on these spring and summer fogs to cool the grapes after high day-time temperatures.
We try to arrive at Figueroa Mountain early to avoid any crowds and to experience these cloud layers before they burn off each day.
