The amount of beautiful landscapes in the Tahoe basin never ceases to amaze me, and now I have another amazing view to recommend: the lupine fields near Tahoe City. Blooming only during a very short window every year, the lupines are a vivid, tall wildflower that add a new color to the palette of the region: purple.
The fields are easy to access. Heading west out of Tahoe City, make a right turn on Lakeforest road. Take a right turn on Bristlecone, and park at the end of the street (sort of near Skylandia Beach, for those of you in the know.) Then just head towards the purple.
There are paths through the flower fields, and if you’re a good person, you should really stay on them to avoid (a) trampling flowers and (b) packing down dirt, which makes it difficult for new ones to grow. The flowers only bloom during a short window – depending on how much snow we’ve had the winter prior, it could be anywhere from June (like it is now) to July, if there’s a little less moisture for them.
A quick Google told me that lupines thrive in sandy, loose soil, which explains why they grow here on the beaches. The views are astounding, but don’t expect to be the only person out there: our visit passed us by no less than three or four other people, and that was a midweek evening.
This is a great place for photoshoots, but make sure you get the lightening right or you’ll end up with either washed out lake views or washed out hues of purple. As you can see, my model really owned his shoot, but not all subjects are quite so photogenic.
The lupines bloom (depending on how much snow and precipitation we’ve had the winter prior) in June, or sometimes the first week of July. They last for only a very short amount of time, so don’t delay!
