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Forget, France! You don’t have to travel to Europe to witness gorgeous lavender fields. There are a myriad of places near Los Angeles that have a vibrant lavender season in the summer and this year I finally got to experience it. I wasn’t able to go to any lavender farms in 2020 due to the pandemic. There were still some shut down this year (2021) because of COVID-19; however, quite a few U-Pick and lavender field options were still available.

Keep reading to see where we went, plus some other option for visiting lavender fields near LA!

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Madewell Bandana Scarf | Knit Midi Dress (old, similar here and here and here and here) | Aerie Sunglasses | Greece Slides

There are three main areas near Los Angeles where you can take in lavender for days - Ojai, Santa Barbara and Temecula. Ojai is basically on the way to Santa Barbara, so you could count this as two areas. The first place I actually heard about the lavender fields was in fact Ojai. They typically have a huge lavender festival in June, but it has been cancelled the past two seasons. They are currently planning on June 25th for 2022 though!

After discovering that Ojai was pretty much a no go (love the city - have only done an ojai day trip, but want to spend the weekend there), I started looking into Santa Barbara and Temecula. Early June Nick and I set up to see the lavender, but had no luck. We went with SB over Temecula, because the drive is prettier / along the coast, and we could hit up some of our favorite spots along the way. It was a really fun day, but again, no lavender. We drove all along the Santa Ynez Valley, only to find that the season doesn’t really get going until late June / early July. Temecula on the other hand gets started early June. It is hotter further inland and the lavender thrives sooner there. I’m happy that it didn’t work out though, as about a month later we made the drive back to the Santa Barbara area and it was perfection. Additionally, my parents were in town, so we got to show them some of our favorite stops near the shore.

The first trip we got breakfast burritos at Lily’s Malibu (order online before arriving), Harry’s Berries in Oxnard (text them for curbside pick-up), coffee at Low Pigeon in Santa Barbara, and visited La Purisima Mission State Historic Park. We pretty much did this same exact day trip with my parents early-mid July, except we skipped Harry’s Berries and stopped in Santa Barbara to get some ice cream at McConnell’s, see the courthouse, and walk around State Street. We also stopped at the Santa Barbara Mission instead of La Purisima. Other towns we drove through / are in the surrounding area are Solvang and Los Olivos.

THE LAVENDER FIELD WE VISITED

The lavender field we visited was Golden State Apothecary, which is also known as the Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm. We accidentally found them on our first fail of a lavender trip! They were our last hope of the day, but their lavender plants weren’t quite ready yet. We bought some farm fresh eggs (which they sell) and they gifted us a bouquet of fresh lavender that was blooming. We promised to come back once they were open. Fast forward to a month later and we came and enjoyed a lovely picnic with my parents.

Golden State Apothecary is located in Lompoc, which is a little under an hour from Santa Barbara and under three hours from West LA. They are a private lavender field, which is nice because you literally have it all to yourself! This makes it ideal for an intimate picnic (proposal!!), small birthday party, and photography sessions. It costs $30 per person, but comes with a bouquet of lavender per person, along with a picnic set up including fresh fruit, lavender lemonade, lavender shortbread cookies, and more! Plus like I mentioned, your group will be the only one there during that time. They also have some goats and sheep on property, as well as nearby horses and such. They left us some treats to feed to the goats, which an added bonus. There were of course bees, but those, along with snakes, come with the territory.

Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm had Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula intermedia 'Provence'. I think they had a third varietal of lavender, but I can’t recall which it was. All are farmed organically. They also grow hemp and have mixed some CBD with lavender products, as well as straight lavender items, with intent to sell those soon.

To make an appointment visit the field, text or call 805-395-6568. If you want to harvest the lavender yourself, choose a morning slot. We didn’t pick ourselves, as we got there around 12:30 pm and lavender is best and most fragrant when harvested in the morning.

LAVENDER FIELDS NEAR LOS ANGELES

There’s quite a few, but these three were the ones I narrowed it down to. I’d of course like to visit the Ojai Lavender Festival too, but am unsure of whether there are fields to enjoy or just a plethora of vendors.

Golden State Apothecary. Lompoc, California ~ under 3 hours from West LA. The location we visited! It is $30 a person, but there isn’t a parking fee, it’s a private experience, and it comes with some refreshments, as well as a bouquet of lavender per person. U-Pick if you’d like. We also brought lunch and picnicked in the shade. The fee includes a 90 minute time slot. Text or call 805-395-6568 to make reservation.
Fork and Plow Lavender Farm. Aguanga, California ~ under 2.5 hours from West LA. This is such a cute farm, but where they really got me is that they offer yoga near the lavender fields. Don’t worry - near not in, because you know, bees… They sell tickets for yoga and I wasn’t able to snag one in before they sold out, but I’d love to do it next year. They also sell tickets to visit the lavender field and do not offer walk-ins. I can’t recall how much tickets were re: lavender and it doesn’t say on their website right now. They actually do things besides lavender, so right now they are prepping for October and sunflowers! To give an idea on pricing, it costs $25 per person for a sunflower pass (children under 3 are free) and it comes with some sunflowers and refreshments. It is not private, but they offer morning slots from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and evening slots from 5:00 pm - 8: 00 pm. Yoga tickets go for $45 but include everything a regular ticket has (through 12:00pm), in addition to the class and a bottle of lavender essential oil. I would LOVE to attend, but tickets often sell quickly (for sale now) and I’m unsure what will be going on with the twins / when they will be born. Perhaps next year! At the very least, I’d love to head to F and P in the winter for their juniper and spruce event. I love how they offer something for most seasons. So fun! Note that I don’t think you have to pay for parking (can’t find it listed), but you cannot bring in outside food.
123 Lavender Farm. Beaumont, California ~ under 2 hours from West LA. If you’re hoping to visit early June or even late May, this is where you should go. It is arguably the largest field you can visit. They run their season from mid-May to the beginning of August. Tickets cost $15 for adults. Kids 5 and under free and they have varying discounts for seniors and children. Parking is $10. You can usually buy tickets at the door, but it is cheaper online. They sell a wide range of food here, but do not allow outside food to be brought in. They also offer quite a bit throughout the year like a sourdough festival, olive picking, Christmas nights and more. You can see more of these events here. It is a different website than the ticket website I linked to earlier. I’d love to attend the olive picking and Christmas nights. They also offer memberships if you’d like to frequent more often.

I’m very happy with our trip to Golden State Apothecary, but would love to try out the other farms to compare. Each of these locations have a different pro and con list whether its price, the offering, or the drive. I think I’d visit each one for a different reason too. For a private and farm-side experience, go to Golden State Apothecary. For yoga and unique experiences, head to Fork and Plow. For the shorter drive and lots of different events, head to 123 Farm. It might also be the cheapest, depending on the people you bring and the parking situation. There’s truly something for everyone!

Though lavender season is coming to a close, I already can’t wait to go back next year. It was so peaceful and I’m happy to finally be able to experience it. I can’t make it to France as of now, but experiencing some Provence near where I live definitely transported me. One of my favorite things about living in California is that there are so many things to do in nature. Farming is huge here and is accessible to where I live, so I’m very pro taking advantage of our surroundings. Spending money on outings like these are no brainers to me. They support local economy and are educational and fun without being entertained through a microphone or screen. Don’t get me wrong - I love a good show! It’s just so cool to be able to experience things like this, especially since it isn’t readily available everywhere.