The Almond Orchards in Northern California are a beautiful sight to see and a popular phenemonon for photographers. The gorgeous white and pale pink flowers bloom only for a short time before the petals decorate the ground in what looks like snow. Take a drive out to Yolo County to discover the gorgeous blooms for yourself.
When is Almond Blossom Season:
Almond Orchard season is usually around Mid-End February to Early-Mid March depending on the rain that season. In 2019 we went March 16th for an engagement photoshoot which is actually pretty late to catch the almond blossoms -and just two days later all the petals were completely off the trees! When you catch the blossoms towards the end of the spectrum it also looks quite beautiful with the petals on the ground.
In the images above we were photographed at some almond orchards in Woodland and these pictures were taken from two different orchards just across the street from each other. Look how drastic the petals on the ground are! Taken on the same day - so keep your eyes peeled as you hunt for orchards because you may come across varying levels of bloom not too far from each other!
As of 2021 the Almond Orchards are currently starting their bloom starting late February and hopefully should be in effect until Mid March.
Where to Find Almond Orchard Blossoms:
The Almond Orchards are scattered all throughout Yolo County - some of the best locations are located in Woodland, Plainfield, Davis and Winters. From Sacramento it is a 30 minute drive - take I-80 West to CA-113 N and the hunt for your county road of choice commences. I recommend County Rd 95 and 98 as a good point of reference. The GPS coordinates I use are 38°35'55.0"N 121°48'10.7"W - remember almond orchards are private property and it is recommended to get the farmers approval.
Tips for Visiting + Photographing Almond Orchards:
Photograph during Golden Hour for the dreamiest lighting. Golden hour is 1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset.
Depending on when you visit remember that if rain has occurred recently the ground could be muddy so where appropriate footwear. Also most orchards have drainage ditches before the property line so you'll most likely need to climb those as well.
Check social media location tags to see where the blooms are at in their process. Woodland, CA is the most popular area so use that as a location tag to check how they look daily.
Always respect the land and do not remove any branches or flowers - you are on private property and this farm land is someones livelihood.
Use the branches to create beautiful framing for your photographs.
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Photos Taken by @Wanderlovecaptures
