Regional Parks Botanic Garden
Wildcat Canyon Rd. at S. Park Drive, Tilden Regional Park,
Berkeley
Lot size: 10 acres, 100% native
Garden Age: Garden was created in 1940.
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New This Year!
Showcase feature: The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a beautiful and tranquil living museum of California native plants. Located within Tilden Regional Park in the hills above Berkeley, this enchanting 10-acre garden is a sanctuary for many of the state's rare and endangered plants and a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses from plant communities throughout the state.
Other garden attractions:
- Plants you may see in bloom include California lilac, dogwood, iris, monkeyflower, tidy tips, bush poppy, brodiaea, mariposa tulip, lilies, and many more.
- Restrooms are available! (In the parking lot.)
Gardening for Wildlife: The abundance and diversity of plants in the Garden, as well as its many water sources (creek, pond, pools, and seeps), provide a spectacular smorgasbord of food and habitats for a large concentration of diverse local and migrant wildlife. The Garden’s many animal residents and visitors include great blue herons, black phoebes, Swainson’s thrushes, rainbow trout, California newts, and hundreds of nectar-feeders and pollinators, ranging from hummingbirds to native bees to butterflies.
Garden Talks: (meet at the Visitor Center by the main entrance): Tours for all ages at 11:00 and 3:00 “Showy, easy-to-grow natives that attract wildlife” Children’s Activities at 11:00 and 3:00 “Plant a pot of pretty poppy seeds (and take it home with you!”) Docents will be available to answer questions throughout the day.
Directions:
From I-80 or Berkeley, take Marin Ave. east into the hills. Turn left on Euclid Ave., right on Grizzly Peak Blvd., and left on Shasta Rd. Follow Shasta Rd. to Wildcat Canyon Rd. and turn right. Look for the Garden parking lot 1/8 mile further on the right.
From Hwy 24 east- or westbound, take the Fish Ranch Rd. exit and follow Fish Ranch Rd. to Grizzly Peak Blvd. Turn right on Grizzly Peak Blvd., then right on S. Park Drive (after the Steam Train). Follow S. Park Dr. to Wildcat Canyon Rd. and turn left. Immediately turn left again into the Garden parking lot.
Parking:
Free parking is available in the lot on Wildcat Canyon Rd. across the street from the Garden’s main entrance and on Anza View Rd. on the west side of the Garden.