Crowds force California city to close super bloom viewing

Overwhelming crowds forced authorities to shut down viewing of a super bloom of poppies on hills around a small Southern California city.

The city of Lake Elsinore closed access to Walker Canyon and canceled shuttle service as a massive traffic jam developed Sunday.

The city initially tweeted that roads were bad, Interstate 15 had stopped moving and law enforcement assistance was requested from neighboring jurisdictions. The city then shut it down, saying the weekend had become unbearable.

The super bloom resulting from extremely wet winter was originally met with excitement in the community, which is about a 90-minute drive from both Los Angeles and San Diego.

But problems began surfacing, including people leaving trails and trampling flowers.