Where to Find Blooming Almond Orchards in Northern California
We just returned from a drive out to Woodland to visit the almond orchards that are currently in full bloom. This magical time of year comes and goes so quickly but when you catch it just right, it’s such a gorgeous scene. The orchards are a beautiful place for family portraits, bridal photos and of course spring style OOTD looks.
When: The trees can start blooming as early mid-February and or as late as mid-March. In my experience, your best bet is the last week of February.
Where: If you are driving out of Sacramento, it’s about a 40 minute drive North-West. You’ll take the 80-West towards San Francisco and then connect to the 5-North/99 towards Redding. Take the 16-West exit and you’ll begin to see the almond orchards.
There’s church near my favorite spot so I always put this address into my GPS - 18045 County Road 95, Woodland CA 95695.
Full disclosure, these orchards are on private property so wander with care. I’ve never had any issues and we are always respectful of the space we are in.
Pro Tips: The lighting is best either right after sunrise or right before sunset. The light can be very harsh mid-day so avoid direct sunlight.
When you’re driving through and selecting an orchard, look for rows of trees that are close together and have green grass in the middle. Avoid large dirt patches because they will take away from your image.
Although it’s not obvious in these photos, the ground was actually very soggy and muddy from all the spring rain. I suggest you bring along shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty, or even go barefoot. I had rain boots on under my dress, and I had to really wash off my daughter’s shoes.
