Lewis Hill Preserve

Getting There

Lewis Hill Preserve is not open to the public except for special tours and events one or two days a year for Sequoia Riverlands Trust Conservation Champions and partners. Please do not visit the preserve without express permission from Sequoia Riverlands Trust.


Not open to the public | Special Events Only

What Makes Lewis Hill Preserve So Special?

This 110-acre grassy hill scattered with rock outcrops protects two rare and beautiful wildflower species: the striped adobe lily (Fritillaria striata) and San Joaquin adobe sunburst (Pseudobahia peirsonii). 

The open grasslands and blue oak woodlands of the southern Sierra Nevada foothills provide critical habitat for these exceptional flowers at Lewis Hill Preserve. In 1994, the Hawkins family donated this property north of Porterville to the Kern River Research Center. Six years later, the title transferred to the Tule Oaks Land Trust, a predecessor organization that merged with other trusts to form Sequoia Riverlands Trust in 2001.

About The Flowers

Striped adobe lily (Fritillaria striata): state-threatened bulb former

  • Only 20 occurrences in Tulare and Kern Counties, with only six documented in the last 20 years
  • Roots grow down when the soil is wet, and when soil dries it pulls the bulb down, which keeps it protected
  • Usually 2-3 flowers, in some years, a single stem can generate 7-8 flowers
  • Threatened by agriculture, urbanization, and non-native plants; possibly threatened by vehicles and road maintenance

San Joaquin adobe sunburst (Pseudobahia peirsonii): federally threatened, state endangered

  • A daisy that comes up in early April
  • Found only in Tulare, Kern and Fresno counties
  • Only 39 sites known; more than half of known occurrences are very small
  • Seriously threatened by agriculture, grazing, development, non-native plants, road construction and maintenance, and flood control activities

Other wildflowers

  • Fiddleneck (pale orange/yellow in color)
  • California poppies (vibrant orange)
  • Miners Lettuce (circular leaves)

Gallery

Our Preserves

Land stewardship is an essential component of Sequoia Riverlands Trust's conservation mission in the southern Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, and Carrizo Plain. Stewardship involves land restoration and the replenishment, respect and continued maintenance of conserved lands.
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Home to rare wildflowers that bloom for just a moment each year, Lewis Hill Preserve opens only on special days for those lucky enough to catch the show.
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Lewis Hill

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Clark

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Hogwallows