Overwhelmed by superbloom? Try Daffodil Hill instead!

It’s not Big Sur or the Golden Gate Bridge, but it’s still one of the Golden State’s real gems: the sensational bloom at Daffodil Hill, a dozen miles northeast of charming Sutter Creek.

The Amador County attraction is about to do its thing, possibly by this weekend.

An excited writer at NBC down in LA put it this way:  The bloom is “blossom-tacular. The flowers are the color of sunshine, or rich butter, if you prefer, and when they appear in profusion, the sight is beyond stunning. It can make a person a bit daffy, in fact, but such is the delightful spell that Daffodil Hill casts each spring.”

Their enthusiasm is understandable — here’s what the Hill looked like a year ago:

Another excited writer, this one with SutterCreek.org, added this: “Ladies and gentlemen it looks like we’re going to be able to open for the 2019 season on Saturday, March 30th! Our hours are 10am-4pm 7 days a week. (weather permitting) It is unknown how long this season will last as we are expecting more rain 4/2-4/7. We are only open as long as the weather allows so please check the weather forecast before visiting.”

So check the Hill’s Facebook page and get ready for massive amounts of color:

Here are 18 things to know about the Hill, courtesy of SutterCreek.org:

1. Daffodil Hill is located at 18310 Rams Horn Grade, Volcano.
2. Visitors are encouraged to call the recorded phone message at 209-296-7048 to see if Daffodil Hill is open that day.
3. Daffodil Hill is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting.
4. Admission and parking are free.
5. No pets are allowed on the premises.
6. There’s handicap access, but it’s limited.
7. Daffodil Hill is a ranch owned by the McLaughlin family since 1887.
8. During the Gold Rush, it was a regular resting place for workers hauling timber from the Sierra down to the Kennedy and Argonaut Mines.
9. In 1877, after coming west from New York and Ohio, Arthur McLaughlin and his wife, Lizzie, bought the ranch from Pete Denzer.
10. Denzer had planted daffodils around his property to remember his homeland, Holland.
11. The McLaughlins continued the tradition, adding more daffodils over time.
12. The ranch is located in a bucolic mountain setting at a 3,000-foot elevation.
13. Flowers, along with peacocks, chickens, miniature donkeys and a horse named Hannah, there for all to enjoy.
14. The McLaughlins’ descendants have continued to plant thousands of new bulbs each year.
15. In recent years, an average of 16,000 daffodil bulbs have been added.
16. Estimates today put the bulb count at about 300,000.
17. Once again, call before coming up, as the Hill is closed following inclement weather.
18. And here are the kinds of flowers you’ll see, photographed in California and beyond.