Carrizo Plain
Most folks around Los Angeles have never heard of Carrizo Plain. On a map, it looks like a little agricultural enclave just west of the much vaster San Joaquin Valley. On the way into Carrizo Plain, you pass many oil wells and land so arid that it looks much like the Imperial Valley.
Once you cross over the pass and into Carrizo Plain, the landscape changes dramatically. Wildflowers dot the landscape in some areas, but in other areas they carpet the ground. Soda Lake provides a bright white contrast to the colorful mountains and the many different types of wildflowers. Dust devils cross the mainly dry lake, making bright white mini tornados. The San Andreas Fault runs through the east side of the plain and it is to thank for the beautiful terrain surrounding Carrizo Plain.
If you're looking for a day trip that is off the map, Carrizo Plain is a great place to escape in springtime.
“The Carrizo Plain is traversed by the San Andreas Fault, providing spectacular topography along the eastern edge. Ridges rise sharply from the plain to form the Panorama and Elkhorn Hills.”
Soda Lake
““Spectacular panoramic landscapes, a diversity of wildlife comparable to Africa’s Serengeti, the highest concentration of threatened and endangered wildlife in California—these are the irreplaceable assets of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.””
The San Andreas Fault at Wallace Creek
