regional parks botanic garden

What a surprise. I'm a local. First visit today. Amazing park. Beautiful views. Countless varieties. Helpful staff.

Not only interesting and educational, but a quiet oasis where one can relax and enjoy nature. Gardens feature local plants and plants from other areas, and the greenhouses have lots of exotics to enjoy. My favorite area is the Japanese garden with a serene pool full of newts -- mating season there adds to the fun.

I've always loved this garden, although small, it is rich in diverse habitat displays, and sits in a lovely sloping canyon near the golf course and the Brazil building.My only wish would be that they should add more benches for those that want to savor the quiet beauty.

Free (limited) parking. No entrance fee. Gorgeous WPA structural landscaping. Tours available. The entire diverse world of California ecosystems available to experience in a few hour's walk. I've been coming for 20 years, at all seasons, and never tire of it. I prefer it to the UC Bot Garden, (of which I have been a member) as UC garden has become expensive, overly commercial, and inconvenient.

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is an exquisite free park (and free parking if there is any left) up above the Berkeley hills, on winding streets that just dare you to try to find the top. Divided into multiple sub-gardens the Botanic Garden boasts statuesque sequoias and redwoods in its relatively small acreage, and many plants and flowers that result in oohs and ahs. An excellent small visitors center hosts lichen classes and other sundry educational activities, as well as maps and information on this garden and other parks. Wonderful opportunity to get in a healthful stroll while enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of the garden and its perch up above the East Bay sprawl.

California has many different climates and soils. Here in one spot one can experience many of them, from desert to mountains, from streamside to forest, from seashore to meadow. It is of great interest in any season, but I like it best in early Spring with mist or a light rain. Trails are easy to navigate and the entire garden can be explored in a little over one hour.

Visited here last weekend for the first time. We were able to park in a free lot across from the gardens. It is also free admission to tour the garden. I love plants and gardens so was looking forward to my visit here and it did not disappoint. The garden is set in a lovely canyon with great views all around. Even though it was late winter, there was still a beauty about the garden and even some flowers were blooming! The garden features native plants of California and supposedly covers every area of California from Seacost to Redwoods, to the Sierras, to the foothills, to deserts to the Central Valley, etc. Everything is labeled neatly and it was interesting to walk among the different trees and plants. The redwood grove was particularly lovely and relaxing. A stream flows through the canyon and trails cross through the property, over bridges and up the hillsides. We were intrigued by how many different kinds of manzanitas there are, the snowberry plant that looks like miniature marshmallows, the many varieties of beautiful ferns, a lovely aspen grove, shooting stars from the Channel Islands, a California Nutmeg tree, a trillium with purple blooms, to name just a few of the plants we saw. I would definitely recommend a visit here, for the beauty, the education and a little exercise. There were also grassy lawns for relaxing or picnicking. There would be something different to see in any season so I hope to come back again some day.

Not worth a visit if only in town for a while, but if you visit your kids at Cal a lot and are looking for something new, this is a good choice.

Spent an afternoon wandering the Botanical gardens. Very well laid out. I was amazed at the number of plants and how well they were taken care of. If you want to go for a nice walk or if you garden at all, you will enjoy the time spent at the gardens.

I've explored Tilden Botanical Garden on two different field trips (I'm studying Horticulture) and I plan to go back on my own. Everything is so clearly labeled and organized that someone could learn a lot about California's plants in a few hours. Even if you are not a student, it's a great place to enjoy a beautiful garden in a unique setting. And it's free! There's no admission cost and no charge for parking.

Der Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley ist ein kleines Paradies oberhalb der Stadt gelegen mit kostenfreien Parkplätzen und umsonst zu besuchen. Er ist nicht sehr gross, bietet keine exotischen Überraschungen, aber man kann hier geruhsame Nach- oder Vormittage verbringen, auf den kleinen Pfaden bergauf und bergab spazieren oder sich auf den Wiesen zu einem Picknick niederlassen. Eine gute Alternative, wenn man dem Trubel der Telegraph Area oder des Campus entfliehen will.