California's 5 Best Botanical Gardens, According To Visitors

If you're planning on vacationing in California, there are plenty of things to do, no matter what part of the state you're visiting. Whether you're crossing off some of the 13 best things to do in Northern California or the 16 best things to do in all of SoCal, your itinerary can be as jam-packed as you want it to be. However, while theme parks and thrills are often the center of attention, the Golden State is also full of quieter areas that are both serene and stunningly beautiful: botanical gardens.

For the uninitiated, a botanical (or botanic) garden is a living arrangement of plants designed to illustrate relationships within plant groups. Typically, botanical gardens feature local species for both display and scientific observation, making them a fantastic way to learn more about the natural beauty of a particular region. California is home to many of these gardens, from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near the Oregon border to the San Diego Botanic Garden on the opposite side of the state.

Although many of these gardens are highly rated, we've curated a list of our picks for the five best in California. To create this list, we looked at online ratings and visitor reviews to see what people were saying. We also chose gardens throughout the state, so no matter where you're traveling, you should be able to add one or two to your itinerary. Finally, we avoided gardens that are part of a larger attraction, such as those attached to a zoo, to ensure objective results. Here are our picks for California's five best botanical gardens.

If you've never traveled along California's Northern coastline before, it's a wonderful trip that allows you to visit numerous charming small towns between stretches of viewing the Pacific Ocean. Once you're about three and half hours from San Francisco (heading south), you'll run into the underrated little artsy town of full of redwoods and shops known as Fort Bragg. Although the town was originally started to support the titular fort, it has become a quintessential coastal getaway, complete with one of the best botanical gardens in the area, the Medocino Coast Botanical Gardens.

At the time of this writing, the garden has a 4.8-star rating with over 2,600 reviews. According to reviewers, a big reason why these gardens are so highly rated is that they're next to the ocean. When looking at the park map, you'll see that you can walk out to the cliffs overlooking the water, creating a fabulous and memorable experience. Also, because the gardens are so close to the sea, the weather is balmy and mild all year long, making them an ideal attraction for every season. Summer hours run from April to October (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and winter hours run from November to March (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Adult tickets for the garden are $24 per person, but there is a senior price of $19 for those 65 and older, and a junior price of $9 for those between six and 17 years old. Children five and under are free. As with most botanical gardens, the park is a nonprofit, so donations are always appreciated. Otherwise, you can participate in various fundraisers throughout the year, including the Festival of Lights, which runs from the end of November until just before Christmas. Tickets for the festival are separate and cost $16 per adult (18 and older) at the time of this writing.

When searching for botanical gardens near San Francisco, you'll notice that a few options come up, all of which are highly rated. In fact, if we wanted to, we could populate this entire list with Bay Area botanic gardens because they're so well-reviewed. However, the one that blows all the others away is the San Francisco Botanical Garden, which has 4.8 stars and over 7,700 reviews, illustrating just how memorable and gorgeous the park is. It's also important to note that the botanical gardens are part of the much larger Golden Gate Park, which stretches over 1,000 acres, all the way to the beach. Golden Gate Park also has 4.8 stars and 43,000 reviews, highlighting how much visitors and locals love the scenery and greenery.

In this case, what makes the San Francisco Botanical Garden so special and unique is that it contains so many species from around the world. The park is broken up into different themed sections, including Ancient Plants, the Garden of Fragrance, the Children's Garden, and the Moon Viewing Garden. The park map also highlights when particular plants are in bloom, so you can plan your visit around seeing your favorite species on full display.

At the time of this writing, adult tickets are $17.25 per person, senior and youth tickets are $9.25, and child tickets (between five and 11 years old) are $5.25. The garden also offers free admission on the second Tuesday of each month, so you can take advantage and see these incredible plants for free (although donations are recommended). Finally, Golden Gate Park has three unique gardens: the Botanical Gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers, so you can buy a combo park pass and see them all.

As we venture down into Southern California, we reach the underrated nature garden home that sits just outside of LA, Descanso Gardens. These gardens sit on over 150 acres of land, surrounded by mountains and foothills, giving the whole area a peaceful and isolated vibe. It's hard to believe Los Angeles is just 20 minutes away, as it feels like you're in a whole other country as you wander through the foliage.

At the time of this writing, Descanso Gardens has over 10,000 online reviews and an average 4.7-star rating, which is much higher than most other botanical gardens, even those on this list. The sheer volume of visitor reviews highlights the beauty and serenity of the site, making it a must-see attraction whenever you're in the greater LA area. Even when reading through the negative reviews, most of the complaints are about refunds or specific staff members, not the gardens themselves. Otherwise, visitors rave about the cleanliness, the stunning scenery, and the events hosted by the park. Regular tickets cost $18 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, and $8 for children three through 12 years old.

While Descanso Gardens is fabulous any time of year, two of the main events are Carved and the Enchanted Forest of Light. Carved runs through October and has some incredible Jack o' Lantern displays scattered throughout the park. According to the site, the carved pumpkins only last a few days, so the artwork changes regularly throughout the month. As for the Enchanted Forest of Light, it runs from mid-November to January and features gorgeous holiday lights and displays that are fun for all ages.

If you head about 20 minutes Southeast of Descanso Gardens, you'll run into the LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Technically, this garden is in the city of Arcadia, home to the world-famous Santa Anita Park Racetrack. The Arboretum is across the street from Santa Anita, and it sits on 127 acres. At the time of this writing, it has an average 4.8-star rating and over 5,100 reviews.

According to visitors, part of the magic of the LA County Arboretum is that it feels like a secluded paradise tucked inside a big city. Once you're wandering through the trees and waterfalls (yes, there are multiple waterfalls), the rest of Los Angeles melts away, making it a quiet, blissful haven. Another reason visitors love it is that they can see various animals throughout the park, including bunnies, turtles, and peacocks. In fact, the peacocks and peahens are so ubiquitous that the website warns guests to stay at least 10 feet away from them for their own safety.

Based on the map, the botanical garden is divided into different sections. The Historic Circle is where you can wander around Baldwin Lake and visit the Queen Anne House, which was originally built for one of the site's original owners, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin. Other sections include Africa, Australia, the Idea Gardens (which include native plants to grow food), Tallac Knoll, and Meadowbrook. At the time of this writing, it's $18 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $8 for children three to 12.

Our final stop on our tour of California botanical gardens puts us near San Diego, home to one of the best zoos in America. If you head about 30 minutes north of the zoo to the city of Encinitas, you'll run into the San Diego Botanic Garden, which is another highly-rated institution that is perfect to add to any itinerary when you're in the city. At the time of this writing, the Botanic Garden has an average 4.7-star rating with over 4,000 reviews.

Although this garden is just 37 acres, it packs many unique plants into such a relatively small space. According to reviewers, the diversity of plant life is a treat to wander through, although some reviewers comment that it can be hard to navigate the garden. The garden is broken up into 29 unique sections, including edible plants, South American and South African species, a Mexican garden, and even an undersea succulent garden. Specific points of interest include a miniature railroad, a gazebo, an overlook tower (which allows you to see the ocean, according to one reviewer), and a bamboo pond, among others.

One interesting element of the San Diego Botanic Garden is that it has a proprietary app, which you can use to learn more about the plants and find your way around. If you're planning on taking a self-guided tour, the app can be an invaluable resource. At the time of this writing, adult tickets are $18, senior and military tickets are $15, and children's tickets (3 to 17 years old) are $10. The garden is open daily except Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The garden is also open on most holidays, but closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. During the holiday season, as with most botanical gardens, you can participate in an after-dark light display called Lightscape, which runs from mid-November to early January.

As we mentioned, because this list is based on visitor reviews, we rounded up all of the botanical gardens in the state and picked the ones with the highest ratings and number of individual reviews. We also chose spots that are just botanical gardens, not part of a larger attraction.

In some cases, the one that made the list came down to numbers. For example, the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley has a 4.8-star rating and over 2,100 reviews, but the San Francisco Botanical Garden has the same rating with more reviews, so we chose it instead.

Finally, because the list refers to the best gardens in California, we made sure to include options throughout the state, not just one region, such as the Bay Area or Orange County.