Spring in San Diego: Family Trip to the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch

It’s almost springtime in San Diego, and a family trip to the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are a must see! If you live in the area, or if you’re visiting in the spring, add this to your list. Opening day is usually in early March, but a lot of the flowers may not be open yet. The best time to go see the flowers when most of them have bloomed is around the end of March to mid-April. Follow them on instagram (@the_flower_fields) to get the latest updates and figure out when you want to go. Parking is free, but you do have to buy tickets to enter the fields. (You can buy tickets here)

Flowers. Milkshakes. Photo ops.

I’ve never been to any flower fields before, and it was amazing to see them in person. The fields are even bigger than I thought, and there’s more to do than just look at pretty flowers. There’s also a big garden shop, a flower maze, vendor tents to buy local goods, a play area called Santa’s playground, tractor rides around the fields, and a strawberry stand that makes a mean strawberry milkshake, amongst other tasty treats. You can also bring in your own food and have a picnic at one of their designated picnic areas.

There are a lot of photo op areas throughout the fields, but if you come during a busy time, expect to wait in a line to get those pictures. I do wish there was an area to really walk through the fields, but they’re all taped off so you can only go so close to the flowers without breaking the rules and crossing the tape. But, the designated photo areas are still nice and make it look like you’re in the fields.

Make sure you check the hours, and get there early if possible if you’re going on a weekend. There’s a lot of parking, but it gets very full and can take a while to find a spot if you don’t get there early.

This was one of my favorite outings during our time living in San Diego. It was the perfect springtime family outing before our little one arrived. Another favorite San Diego trip was to the Bates Nut Farm in the fall (you can read that post here).

Have you visited the flower fields in Carlsbad or anywhere else?