Poppies Aplenty In Southwest Riverside County, But Enjoy From Afar

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Joe Fanaselle's photography skills are known across Southwest Riverside County. Not only does he capture breaking news photos, he also partners with local law enforcement and fire to cover events, most notably in his hometown of Murrieta.

Sometimes Fanaselle turns his eye to other topics — in this case, Mother Nature.

Attached is a photo gallery he shared of local wildflowers in bloom across Southwest Riverside County. Most are poppies, and Fanaselle was careful to follow the rules about admiring the orange blossoms from afar.

The shots were taken Thursday along Warm Springs Parkway in Murrieta (next to the new Costco store), as well as the hillsides north of Clinton Keith Road in Wildomar, near Inland Valley Hospital, and of course, along Lake Elsinore hillsides.

However, Lake Elsinore "was being actively patrolled by Riverside County sheriff's deputies and a Riverside County Park Ranger ... along Lake Street and parked on Interstate 15," Fanaselle said, so rules were obeyed.

A digital signboard at the end of Lake Street read "Poppy Field Closed," he explained.

This writer traveled north on Interstate 15 through Lake Elsinore on Friday and noted the "no parking" signs and traffic cones blocking the right shoulder before and after the Lake Street exit.

It's certainly understandable. Those of us who remember the 2019 "super bloom" recall the traffic mess and chaos as thousands poured into Lake Elsinore to hike among the poppies. Visitors parked on I-15 and walked the freeway to get to the orange-blanketed hills.

It's different this year.

Walker Canyon will be closed for the time being with the expected "significant poppy bloom," Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson announced this week.

"Residents' safety and the preservation of land" is the priority over visitors' desire to access the canyon and take photographs of wildflowers, the mayor added.

The experience of 2019 was the principal motive for the decision to post the "keep out" signs, she said.

For those who don't remember, not only was the 2019 super bloom a headache for many locals and motorists just trying to get through Lake Elsinore, the event was marred by tragedy when a California Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Licon was struck and killed while working extra hours to provide traffic enforcement along I-15.

Officials want to avoid a repeat of 2019, according to a statement released by the city:

"City, county, transportation and safety personnel have been working together to create a unified approach to addressing the '2023 Poppy Bloom.'"