Such a beautiful escape into nature right in my own back yard. But be sure to exit before closing. I got locked in and that was an experience.

Its open to the community, not just UCR students and staff! Anyone is welcome. The parking here is only $2/hour and no other fees! Great for children, very family friendly. Awesome for large groups! Its Absolutely Gorgeous and we havent even hiked the whole thing yet! There is so much more! We will definitely be back soon! I wonder if they have an annual parking pass?

We enjoyed 40 acres of plants including a South Africa section. The friendly attendant at the gate pointed that out to us giving us a map of the place and a gift bookmark. what was the next surprise was running into a rose garden to the right of that trail. Most all the trails were paved and there were conveniently placed benches everywhere. the 102 temperature kept us from exploring the entire 40 acres, but thats for our next visit.

A great beginner hike spot and also a wonderful place to view plant and animal life. Many of the trails are easy to hike and there are some areas that are just reserved for viewing gardens. Great place to visit with a close one or the family.

It was my first time visiting this beautiful botanic garden. The guides were so polite and we had a wonderful time. My sons school had their 1st fiend trip of the year and all the kids had a blast!

Wow, what a beautiful place. We have lived in Riverside for almost 20 years and our son has attended UCR for almost 4 years and we have never been here. Such a shame. This is a great garden with amazing plant life and trails. We plan on coming back to enjoy much more of this peaceful place.

When your heart aches for a sense of nature and tranquility UC Riverside Botanic Gardens can be self soothing. I love this place and its shaded hideaways. Its gift shop has much to offer as well, with the best part being the plants you can buy at a reasonable price. I hope to visit it more throughout the year.

What a wonderful adventure with my granddaughters. Many native plants to explore. The girls favorite was the turtle pond. A must for everyone. Great place to have a picnic. The parking is free but limited so get there early.

Lots of green from the rain this winter. Most of the succulents are blooming right now. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Wonderful weather. Make sure you take one of the free maps at the entrance. The parking meter only lets you pay for two hours at a time ($2/ hour). I did see a coyote there so just be mindful that there is wildlife around you. Some of the trails could be muddy so make sure you bring a good pair of shoes if you plan on walking in areas that have an elevation change.

Beautiful! Great for picture taking, picnics and hiking.

TheThe botanical gardens are absolutely beautiful, with great signage for the flora and fauna. The views are great, and the trails are well kept. The trails are anywhere from easy to difficult, depending on what youre in to traveling. Its kid friendly, runner friendly, and also friendly for the less fit (like me!). I only wish I could visit it later in the day.

The garden is gorgeous, and a nice location for a hike and contemplation. The campus was empty when I visited, so there were not many people in the gardens. I did a small loop, following the map at first and then the trails themselves, after. There are benches scattered throughout for one to rest, think, and admire. There is no fee to enter the gardens, but a donation is recommended. There is a restroom in the entrance, and a few porta-potties scattered around further in. This is a nice family-friendly activity.

Beautiful, peaceful, lush gardens. It’s a hidden Riverside gem. One of the best things that Riverside has to offer. An incredible assortment of plants from around the world. And it’s only a $5 donation. Impossible to leave without having achieved a level of peace.

I have been to UC Riverside Botanic Gardens many times over the years. In the 1980s I have many memories of my Nana and mom spending the day with me and it was always a relaxing time. I love this place and recommend it to anyone who loves flowers, trees, and relaxation.

Limited parking so if you have kids and bad luck youre hiking up a hill before you even get to the gate. Otherwise, beautiful. Lots of space to roam. The docents are friendly and other patrons are good about social distancing.

Always beautiful! Tons of towering trees, palms, grassy patches, cactus, paths, and benches to sit on! Sadly much less flowers in bloom in the wintertime; cant wait to see what this spring offers to make up for it though!

Its just so magical here!! My kids go crazy for the Easter Egg hunt and the maze, and at Christmas our favorite family event is the light show. Absolute highlight of the year!

Nice little place to get away in the area. Its crazy that one minute youre in a busy college campus, then youre lost in a little mini Forest garden. Great for photography as well!Parking for an hour is 2 bucks i think. Unfortunately theres no free parking anywhere less than what i think is an hour walk. The machine doesnt give back any money, so be sure to have exactly increments of two dollars for your visit.

Great place. Takes at least 3 hours to really see all the plants. Theres lots of different trails to take. The parking is $4 for two hours, but it does get packed, so show up early!

Its free to go in (5$ donations appreciated) wonderful garden, especially the rose garden. Nice place for a lunch, a stroll or a hike up some hills.

Wonderful foliage. Hikes are easy to not so. Worth the drive from Orange Co.

I love this place. Its beautiful. There is new growth now and its great.

This hidden gem is a wonderful place to step away from the chaos of So Cal. A Cafe is onsite for refreshments and a relaxing train ride for the kids and adults makes it quite the adventure. Be sure to wear closed toed shoes and bring sunscreen it can get hot.

Nice place to enjoy a lot of different plants and animals than you would otherwise see in the Inland Empire. It does a nice job of transporting you to the different regions represented in the gardens - particularly if you go in spring or fall when it isnt too hot or cold.

Absolutely beautiful. Parking isnt expensive and staff is friendly.

I love walking through and showing all the different plants and flowers to my daughter. They have a pond where some turtles like to swim and catch sun when is out. Most of the trees and plants are tagged to let you k ew what they are. Great place to hike before it gets too hot.

A great place to explore, walk, and photograph. Expect a mix of birds, flowers, butterflies, and reptiles. Easy walk with some moderate hills. Parking is limited and you need to pay 4 dollars for 2 hours.

Amazing and huge garden!!! Perfect to decompress and enjoy the beautiful scenery and quietness. Amazing for a nice walk with multiple stairs and ramps to walk. The garden is split up depending of flower type (roses) or native area to the plant, flower, or tree. Highly recommend it is gorgeous and well maintained.

Beautiful garden. Great variety of native plants. Paid parking. Family friendly but no dogs allowed.

Art in the Garden is a very slow-paced art and vendor walk. To eat hey had coffee and some cookies for sale and a small basket of free garden fruit and nuts. Good for an hour of beautiful scenery, fresh air and friendly people.I bought some cord keepers for my curling and flat iron, love them!You could spend more time walking all the trails, but bring hiking boots or just be prepared for rattlesnakes and bobcats.You do need to pay for parking down below, then its just about a quarter mile walk up a paved road to the Botanical Gardens.*There is parking right next to the Gardens, but on this day, was reserved for handicapped vehicles.

Love it here. A great place for an easy hike, away from it all. I have volunteered to help prune the roses. Look for the upcoming plant sales.

A nice place to take a nice, quite walk. Lots of greenery and very peaceful.

So pretty and relaxing. We enjoyed the afternoon walking around and looking at all the plants, we even bought a few.

Lovely botanical gardens. Natural setting. Lots of flowers in every season. Roses are in full bloom right now. Good paved paths as well as unpaved natural ones. Lots of park benches to rest on. Highly recommend for all ages.

Such a popular place to visit and this COVID-19 pandemic is ruining everything. Ive been here in the past and enjoyed it very much. We have so much free time on our hands we decided to ride a 30 mile loop from our house and stopped by at the gardens for a photo-op.

A beautiful Botanical Garden with multiple walking/hiking trails. Great place to bring kids and discover nature.

Beautiful and serene botanical gardens that are located on UCR campus. Very nice atmosphere and a nice walk as well throughout. Would recommend this place to anyone who is a nature freak or anyone who just loves to take nice walks in peaceful atmospheres. The green dome which was one of my favorite parts of the gardens was recently shut down which is unfortunate but still a beautiful place.

A magical place in spring when the violets (one of the only collections in SoCal), camellias and roses are blooming.

I used to go there long ago and I loved it. It was closed when I went last week but will try again tomorrow.

High quality Botannical garden. Walking trails are well designed.

Love this place! So beautiful, so well kept, everything is nicely labeled and the paths are clean and easy to find your way on. Very peaceful little place away from the city to relax.

Beautiful botanical garden to stroll through.

Its a great place to go. And its peaceful

This is probably my most favorite place to go to when I just want to relax and go on a tiny exploration. I love coming here to read, have tiny cute picnics, and insect watch.This place does close at 5pm everyday and I believe parking was $1.50 for 1 hour and I think $2.50 for 2 hours... They also now accept credit/debit cards at the parking pass dispenser, which is great because I hardly ever carry spare change with me.Also, if you come here I highly recommend staying for 2 hours, because one hour just simply isnt enough.Parking is also limited so if you do come here in a group with many cars you will have a hard time finding parking due to the lot being a tad bit small. Carpool if you can.They also have a bike rack right when you enter the gardens on your right hand side. So if you would like to be more eco friendly and ride here instead, you do have a place to lock up your bikes.This is a pretty big garden and there is so much to see and explore. This is a great place for kids, because they get to learn about different types of plants, insects, and birds.I do recommend to be vigilant of your kids, because these are well kept plants and destroying them would not be nice to the volunteers, plants, and gardeners. Also, there have been snake and mountain lion sightings here. Just be safe.I do come here often and I myself havent encountered either of the two, but you never know.They also post a variety of events which are all placed on their info board along with maps, brochures, and other important information.Things to bring: Hat, Water (always bring water regardless of the temperatures), comfortable walking shoes (I brought sandals here once... Not a great idea), comfortable clothing, and a camera if you have one, because the plants and insects here are just so beautiful!Anyway, more pictures to come, because this place is so big and havent taken pictures of many areas yet.

Awesome gardens, most flowers are blooming right now

We loved wandering around here and enjoying the beauty. The rose gardens were spectacular.

Great place to walk around and enjoy fresh air and lots of plants. Great for kids too! $5 suggested donation per adult at the door. UCR students free. There are two public bathroom locations throughout the garden.

What a wonderful visit today. Lots of shade, plenty of sunshine, some trails are steep but walkable. Some new areas being developed. The butterfly garden was delightful.

Loved this place. It’s huge, organized by region, and features plants from around the world. Worth the trip. Plus, I was lucky enough to meet some of the botanist PhD students who explained various species.

If youre looking for a place of serenity and beautiful views, this is the place to come. The flower garden is very beautiful. Some areas can be a little hilly so watch your step or there are areas to relax and take pictures. Parking is limited near the entrance and cost a few dollars for an hour or so. There is additional parking further out.

This a beautiful garden located in UC Riversides backyard. It is a gorgeous hidden gem that most people in the area do not know about and never visit. This green piece of land is not only beautiful but spans across hills, so can be a great place to hike as well as admire the nature and views.Parking here is a bit tedious as sometimes parking can be full. Not only that, but the parking lot is extremely cramped. Please also note that parking also requires a parking permit from the parking machine located towards the front of the parking lot. You will receive a ticket if you do not display your ticket on your dashboard so please be aware.The contents of the garden is limitless. There is a wooden greenhouse that is currently in disrepair, but I believe they are trying to repair it soon. There is a rose garden close to the other green house. The visitors center sells apparel and other knick knacks. There is also, what I believe to be a recreational center that you can rent out as a venue.There are paths located all throughout the garden, which, like I said before, is essentially a hike. You can choose to take a straight shot inclined path that will a leg-day workout to go straight to the top or you can take a path that gradually takes you to the top to see all of UCR and most of the Inland Empire. There used to be a small little creek running through the garden, but I believe since its been drier recently, I was unable to see it on my last visit. Please be aware though as some of these trails can be really steep, and there are signs indicating so on these paths.

Every part of this experience was breathtaking, the tranquility of being outdoors and seeing a various amount of plants! It’s truly a large place to detach yourself from your busy life! I want to warn some LGBQT+ couples one of the volunteers here had passively aggressively asked my partner and I a homophobic question. It made the experience a tad bit peculiar and dang right rude, but I still enjoyed this place!

Its a wonderful and peaceful experience. This is where I come to disconnect from the world and reconnect with my essence!

My absolute favorite place to relax and enjoy nature.

Lovely gardens. Self-guided tour was very nice.

Love this place! Great place for a quiet gentle hike.

Well kept gardens with easy to follow paths and free admission (though there is a donation box.) Paud parking, but not much and close to the entrance. We were able to spend a leisurely two hours there with only a bit of hiking involved.

A good place to take a instant hike inside the campus. The garden is well maintained and still in development of some new area like childrens garden. Each plant has its name displayed on a tag. Its really nice since kids get a nice way to learn as they play.

My favorite botanical garden. Various plants, not just native plants. Clean and peaceful environment, good parking price. Free to get in. Wheelchair accessible. Many places to sit down.

I love the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens at lunch time. Its great to watch the fish and turtles. Its also great to look at the trees and imagine what they would be like in my front yard.

Spring is such a great time to go here!

Really beautiful place have a lot of diversity plants you need more of two hours to really enjoy this place a lot of trails!

Nice Arboretum, lots of plants and birds to check out

Beautiful day painting and enjoying people, atmosphere, live music, tastes of wine and specialty beer, during the gardens annual Primavera on the Gardens Festival

Theres a great diversity of plants, insects, and birds to see and learn about at this expansive botanic garden. Plants are well labeled, and the trails are nicely maintained.

Its peacefull walk trail provides different layouts for a variety of reasons to take pictures with family. December and January is a colorful time to get a variety of tones. I am going back to take pictures in the spring.

Lovely place to go and peaceful.

Too early for some fowers, but still beautiful

First time there. Cant wait to see what it looks like in full bloom.

Parking is 2 dollars for one hour or 4 dollars for for hours. No entrance fee, but they do accept 5 dollar donations if you would like to contribute. Great place to see many different types of plants and trees. One can forget that its so close to the city. Lots of green and also desert trails. Many benches throughout to take a break and admire the surroundings. Kids loved it. Its great for distraction and getting awa from the norm.

Love walking the trails and seeing all the plant material. Rose Gardens are beautiful with flowers.

Lovely place to take an early morning stroll

This is my magic place to hide and take lovely shots of everything from Roses to trees to butterflies. They close at 5 sharp thats the only drawback.

Great walk a bout. Learned the names of our most recognized plants and got some good exercise in. No place for a wheelchair or the faint of heart.

Such a beautiful place for some outdoor exercise in the city. Parking prices do change but they accept CC. Different level hikes, some you can access with a stroller and some are pretty steep. Even has a little pond and a rose garden.

Excellent little botanic garden. Quite a few trails that can get you back into some chaparral habitat. But also lots of nearby gardens for butterflies, hummingbirds, herbs, etc.

This place is absolutely beatiful. Great for hiking or to sit, relax and enjoy nature.

Such an absolutely beautiful place. So many neat trails, plants and flowers.

Peaceful beauty. Hundreds of different types of foliage all labeled. Suprised to discover how old The rose gardens rose plants are.

Such a gorgeous place! A jewel of Riverside!

Peaceful clean easy and challenging trails much to see diversity great views shade benches to rest or contemplate easy parking

Great place. Beautiful plants and trees. Come with at least 2hrs to spent, this place is pretty big. We had to pay for parking at the bottom of the hill. 90 minutes was $2.50 on a Saturday. Bring comfortable shoes and water. Great place to take pictures at. Various hiking trails for all ages. Restrooms on site.

We love visiting the botanic gardens whenever we are in Riverside. You feel like youve gone somewhere. Its a beautiful, diverse collection, which actually now includes some palms donated by my husband.

Beautiful sanctuary. A lot of places to sit quietly to read, meditate or just have a quiet spot.

Nice place for a short walk.

This was our first trip to the gardens and we were very impressed. The beautiful gardens with snow capped mountains in the background. We will be back again. The staff was helpful and friendly.

Great diversity of plants from around the world and really well maintained. Lots of docent lead tours as well.

Very beautiful garden that I had no idea existed. Im a photographer and had the greatest time taking pictures here. I did maturnity pictures here with a family and they came out great!

Really nice place.

Beautiful place for pictures!

Best place to see all plants from High desert to jungle, good place to exercise and learn a little about our plants, dont forget to visit the Butterflys Garden and e beautiful spot at the top of the hill in the Australian section, you wont be disappointed, by the way there its a minimum charge to park your car$2 dlls/ hr, the Experince well worth the money!

Was well thought out, so many flowers and things in bloom. The butterflies were amazing!

Beautiful place for family outing. A great place to spend enjoying/learning about plants/trees and such.

Even in the winter time it still is a relaxing place to walk

The botanical garden is located on the campus of the University of California at Riverside. There is a $2/hour parking fee (paid in advance) and a $5 suggested donation to enter the garden (there is a drop slot near the entrance for you to pay). The garden is quite hilly. There is a serpentine pathway that will take you up the hill and then back to the entrance. You can go either way and it is paved for most of the path. Highlights include many trees (so the walk is pleasantly shady on a warm day), a rose garden with dozens of varieties near the apex of the hill, and a butterfly garden.

Beautiful area to stroll around. Paved paths as well as dirt paths for the more adventurous. Nice to have plaquards at many specimens for easy identification

Loved it. Very relaxing.

Having attended the university in my earlier years, I recently went for a graduation and had time to walk around. Since it was spring, the entire garden was in full bloom. From the flowers to the trees, I found myself revisiting the plant life I had learned about which helped me identify them and admire their traits. Oddly enough, there were some older people in the park with me which changed the experience. They walked slowly so I did, too. They admired everything slowly and so, I tried to. I got lost in the experience and took so many photos, my phone ran out of space for a while. I was thankful to have loaded it online before the graduation but I wish I could have spent more time there. Its not that big of a space, but there is plenty to see and read about. Its great for a romantic walk or as a sensory exploratory exercise. And the scents around me wafted nicely. For those with allergies, take a pill and then go see it!

What a wonderful place

Great place for walking exercise...