Throughout the healing landscapes of Upper Bidwell Park, purple and yellow wildflowers fill the trails around Horseshoe Lake. With less than a year since the fourth largest wildfire in California history, the park has shown great recovery since July 24, 2024 and continues to restore its original beauty through the blooming of vibrant wildflowers. Throughout my hike around Horseshoe Lake, the Middle Trail, and the North Rim Trail, I took photographs of some of my favorite flowers that spoke a message of resilience after the tragedy of the Park Fire that scarred 429,603 acres across Butte and Tehama County.

These small, yellow flowers blanketed the surrounding hills at the start of my hike around Horseshoe Lake along the Middle Trail.

The Many Flowered Brodiaea had multiple, miniature flowers on the top of their thin, long stem. 

The further along I progressed on my hike, these bell-shaped flowers grew like weeds.  

The California Poppy littered the hillsides as I was ascending up the North Rim Trail past Monkey Face. 

These tiered, bright purple flowers caught my eye throughout the hike especially against the fallen trees and bare ground. 

At the top of my hike, this fuzzy flower overlooked the new growth of Upper Bidwell Park.

These pointed, yellow flowers’ color popped in opposition to a burnt tree branch bringing life back to the Middle Trail which was severely torched by the Park Fire.

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Vernal Pool Goldfields populating in abundance towards the end of my hike. Photos taken by Alexis Bunch on April 11.

Resembling the California Poppy and the Vernal Pool Goldfields, these Frying Pans complemented the tall grasses of the Middle Trail.

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The tall, Fleshy Lupine budding while overlooking Big Chico Creek and the rolling hills of Upper Bidwell Park. Photos taken by Alexis Bunch on April 11.

The most abundant flower along the North Rim Trail and the Middle Trail, the Fleshy Lupine accompanied me throughout my hike.

Alexis Bunch can be reached at [email protected]