Southern California wildflower viewing crowds won’t stop

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) — The problem of overwhelming crowds flocking to see a super bloom of poppies in a Southern California canyon is no longer just a weekend issue.

Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jefferies told a board meeting Tuesday that the crush of people trying to see the wildflowers in the Lake Elsinore hills is continuing on weekdays.

The Press-Enterprise reports that cars lined Interstate 15 off-ramps leading to the area at dawn Tuesday and the California Highway Patrol was forced to shut down the ramps into the evening.

The stunning display of wildflowers followed an exceptionally rainy winter but huge crowds of spectators finally forced the community to allow access only by shuttles on weekends.

A new plan for weekdays involves deploying flaggers to direct motorists, and further freeway off-ramp closures if needed.

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Information from: The Press-Enterprise, http://www.pe.com