Hipcamp Launches Interactive California Superbloom Forecast Built From 150,000+ iNaturalist Observations

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 3, 2026--

Hipcamp, the world’s #1 app for finding and booking campsites, today launched a brand-new 2026 California Superbloom Forecast: an interactive experience built by analyzing 150,000+ research-grade iNaturalist observations across the 2021–2025 wildflower seasons.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260303260825/en/

The forecast helps roadtrippers and campers plan spring trips around California’s fleeting wildflower windows by combining data-backed bloom predictions with destination-level travel and visitation information. The map makes it easier than ever to see where and when wildflowers are sprouting—and find incredible campsites near the colors.

"When people record what they're seeing on iNaturalist, they're contributing to a growing scientific picture of nature over time," said Dr. Carrie Seltzer, Head of Engagement at iNaturalist. "That data about what's blooming where and when is publicly available, which means it can be helpful in all kinds of ways—like helping people get to know what's around them and making an impact for science and conservation."

As excitement builds around the best California wildflower season in a decade, Hipcamp is already seeing bloom-driven travel demand rise in major hotspots. Spring bookings on Hipcamp are up 64% year-over-year for Death Valley, up 22% for greater San Diego (including the Anza-Borrego Desert area), and up 19% for greater Los Angeles (including the Santa Monica Mountains).

“All the search and booking activity we’re seeing on Hipcamp says people really want to see this in person,” said Alyssa Ravasio, Founder and CEO of Hipcamp. “But catching blooms in full glory is notoriously hard to time. That’s why we built the California Superbloom Forecast; so you can plan a weekend away with better odds, camp nearby, and enjoy it responsibly.”

A new way to plan a superbloom camping trip

While the interactive superbloom forecast is designed to help travelers plan by destination and date, the Hipcamp app now includes a new wildflower map layer too. Built from the same observation data, wildflower hotspots in California are overlaid directly onto Hipcamp’s search map—making it easier for campers to discover wildflower-rich areas and book camping experiences nearby.

Helping people enjoy wildflowers responsibly

Wildflower seasons can bring heavy visitation to fragile landscapes. Hipcamp encourages travelers to visit responsibly by staying on designated trails, respecting closures and access rules, packing out trash, and following Leave No Trace principles—helping protect the habitats that make wildflower seasons possible.

How to use Hipcamp’s 2026 superbloom tools

Travelers can:

Links

Images & Screenshots:Google Drive

About Hipcamp

Hipcamp is the #1 app for finding and booking campsites, from national parks to blueberry farms. Hipcamp unifies the world’s best camping options across peaceful private spots, iconic public lands and well-equipped campgrounds to create one app that has everywhere you want to camp. Hipcamp has grown into a community of over 8 million registered campers who use our app to explore all of their options in one place—tent sites, RV spots or glamping—and find the perfect site to match their camping style. Each year, Hipcamp helps millions of campers sleep happily under the stars, boosting local economies and biodiversity along the way. Investors include Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, and Bond Capital.

Hipcamp Launches Interactive California Superbloom Forecast Built From 150,000+ iNaturalist Observations

Hipcamp Launches Interactive California Superbloom Forecast Built From 150,000+ iNaturalist Observations

Screenshot of the interactive California superbloom forecast.

Screenshot of the interactive California superbloom forecast.

Screenshot of the interactive California superbloom forecast.

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a high school was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter Tuesday.

Jurors took less than two hours to find Colin Gray guilty of all charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray is one of a number of parents across the country who have been charged after their children were accused in fatal shootings.

He showed little emotion as the verdict was read and then as he watched each juror being polled by the judge. Deputies then handcuffed him behind his back as he stood at the defense table, consulting with his lawyer. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Colin Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Another teacher and eight other students were wounded. Gray was also convicted of multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children.

Prosecutors said Gray gave his son, Colt, access to a gun and ammunition “after receiving sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger the bodily safety of another.” The teen's mother, Marcee Gray — who testified that she had urged Colin Gray to take the guns and lock them inside his truck so they were not accessible to their son — declined to comment after the verdict.

Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was indicted on a total of 55 counts, including murder. He has pleaded not guilty and the judge in his case has set a status hearing for mid-March.

Investigators said Colt Gray carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school attended by 1,900 students.

He boarded the school bus with a semiautomatic, assault-style rifle in his book bag, the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, investigators said. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the gun and then shot people in a classroom and hallways, investigators said.

Colin Gray had given his son the gun as a gift the Christmas before the shooting and allowed him to have access to the gun and ammunition, despite his awareness that his son’s mental health had deteriorated, a prosecutor said.

Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors said.

Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, listens during closing arguments in his trial at Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga., on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Colin Gray listens to his attorney during closing arguments in his trial at Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga., on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, takes the stand during his trial on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Pool)

Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, listens during his trial, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, at the Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)