Welcome to the Children's Woodland at California Botanic Garden! This space, debuting in April 2026, is dedicated to finding and fostering connections in nature. Read on to learn more:
What is in the Children’s Woodland? Is the Children’s Woodland a playground?
The Children’s Woodland is a unique space within California Botanic Garden where children can explore native habitat, engage in imaginative play, and make a lifelong connection with nature. While the Woodland is not a playground in the traditional sense, the space currently features open space for creative play, balance logs and stumps, sticks and other items for building, rocks and rock fountains for climbing and water play, hammocks for relaxing, a stump circle for reading and gathering, a sensory plant circle for touching and smelling, and benches and picnic tables for resting and connection. Like other natural spaces, the Children’s Woodland will change with the seasons and the years, so watch for new installations in the future!
Where is the Children’s Woodland?
The Woodland is located down the hill from the north end of the Mesa Gardens area at CalBG. It can be approached through the SoCal Gardens (a less strenuous route with no hills) or via the Mesa Gardens (includes use of a ramp to get up to the Mesa and then a short, relatively steep road down the hill next to the Mesa restrooms).
The walk to the Woodland from the Garden entrance can take between 10 and 30 minutes depending upon the visitors’ walking speed and interest in stopping and exploring en route.
How is the Woodland different from other areas of the Garden?
While kids have fun exploring on pathways and around ponds throughout CalBG’s 86 acres, we encourage our visitors to stay out of Garden beds to protect themselves from prickly plants and to protect rarer or new plants from unintentional harm. In the Children’s Woodland, visitors are encouraged to respectfully and safely explore wherever they like! Young guests can softly touch and smell plants, carefully climb under and through and around plants and trees, hop on rocks and stumps, play in the fountains, and sit and watch their animal and insect neighbors to their hearts’ content.
Can we climb up the trees in the Children’s Woodland?
Out of respect for the trees and the animals that depend upon them for food and shelter, we ask that visitors not climb up trees in the Woodland or elsewhere in the Garden.
Can we rent the Children’s Woodland for a party or events?
The Woodland is not currently available for private rental.
Can we eat in the Children’s Woodland?
Yes! Guests are welcome to bring snacks and food into the Woodland. We just ask that visitors not feed the animals/birds and that all garbage gets placed into the trash can.
What does someone with mobility or other accessibility needs need to know about the Children’s Woodland?
Getting to the Woodland: For the flattest and smoothest path from the Garden entrance to the Woodland, follow the paver path through the SoCal Gardens, to the smooth decomposed granite paths past the Majestic Oak, until you get to the road to the California Plant Communities, curving around to the west towards the Woodland. (Please note that there are a few stretches of uneven pavement along this route). An accessible restroom is available en route, just north of the Fan Palm Oasis. We recommend parking strollers just outside the Woodland fence.
Inside the Woodland: The Woodland does not contain any paved or smoothed paths or surfaces. The ground surface contains leaf litter, small rocks, tree roots, and sticks. Benches are available for sitting.
Restroom and drinking fountain access: The Mesa restrooms are the closest facility, and can be reached via a short, steep (non-ADA accessible) hill just to the west of the Children’s Woodland. Other facilities are available in the SoCal Gardens near the Forest Pavilion.
Have a question about your specific accessibility needs? Feel free to email us at info@calbg.org and we will be happy to address them.
