29751 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Hours: Monday-Sunday (7 AM-7 PM)
Overview
Niguel Botanical Preserve is a very pretty, 18 acre, public Botanical Garden located inside of the super popular and family friendly Crown Valley Park in Laguna Niguel. The gardens are free for visitors to wander and are managed by volunteers. The trails start just above the grassy lined amphitheater, bringing visitors to other areas of the gardens and of Crown Valley Park.
The preserve features plants from the 5 Mediterranean climate regions of the world. The collections are loosely organized to fit into these 5 regions. In addition to visiting the gardens, visitors will enjoy a day out at Crown Valley Park, with their super popular splash pad and playground, and the local YMCA being located adjacent to the preserve grounds. The preserve grounds are a great place to stretch the legs and enjoy some fairly easily manageable trails. A great map of the grounds can be found at Niguel Botanical Preserves website.
Areas of Niguel Botanical Preserve
Australian Region
The Australian region of the park winds along Greenhouse Rd and then leads to an Australian Forest. The Rose Garden is located in this area as well. One of my favorite parts of the preserve is just past the Rose Garden along what is called Butterfly Bend. Here, a small Butterfly Garden presents itself along with pretty butterfly chairs. This is a relaxing area to stroll through.
Chilean Region
Near the Northwestern section of the preserve lies the Chilean Region of the park. This is a small area but it leads to the Formal Garden and Labyrinth that most kids will enjoy. A worldwide succulent display and Palm Canyon are a short distance from here as well and worth a look.
California/Baja/Channel Islands Region
Small area with some nice plants native to these California Regions.
South African Region
Another small area at the far Eastern portion of the preserve. It features a South African Overlook and South African Savannah with some native plants to this region.
Mixed Regions
The “mixed regions” make up a good portion of the preserve. From here trails branch off to the different sections of the park. The Boy Scout and Girl Scout groves are in this area as well. These groves feature many Eagle Scout and Golden Award projects completed by the local youth. This area is just above the sprayground. In this region visitors will also find numerous animal sculptures scattered about which kids will have a fun time stumbling upon.
Scout’s Story
The Laguna area has quickly become one of our families favorite areas in Southern California. We decided to spend yet another day hanging out and exploring some places in this area along with our 2 year old daughter Scout. The last few months have been pretty hectic but things finally seem to be calming down just a bit as Scout’s cancer has now been in remission for almost 3 months. Today was another chance for us to get outside and enjoy some summer sun.
We got a relatively early start but upon reaching the sprayground just as it had opened, crowds were already waiting to enter on this hot summer, weekday. In no time the splash pad became so crowded that Scout seemed to just be getting in the way of the other kids and not really enjoying herself. We made our way to the less crowded playground, where Scout had a fabulous time, before deciding to make our way to the Niguel Botanical Preserve, just a short walk from the playground.
Scout’s Day at Niguel Botanic Preserve
Visiting the preserve was a great option, and the trails provided a lot of solitude as we only encountered a few other visitors throughout our visit. It was a nice, quiet and relaxing visit as Scout smiled and ran around the different areas. The grounds are fairly easy to cover in a short period of time, maybe an hour or so, with a few areas standing out to us on this day. The Butterfly Garden area and the Labyrinth at the far Northwestern end of the preserve, were by far Scout’s favorite parts of the preserve.
The Niguel Botanical Preserve didn’t blow us away but it was absolutely worth the stop and made for a fun morning walk through some nice trails and plant displays. Overall, we enjoyed our visit and just being outside together as a family before exploring some of the many other sites that Laguna Niguel has to offer.
August 3, 2023
Getting to Niguel Botanical Preserve
29751 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is there a fee to enter Niguel Botanical Preserve?
- No. Admission and parking are free.
Are dogs allowed in the Niguel Botanical Preserve?
- Yes, dogs are allowed, but must be leashed and kept in control at all times. Please pick up and dispose of all animal waste.
Are there restrooms?
- Yes, restrooms are located a short walk away, near the splash pad and playground.
