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Arboretum of Los Angeles County

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kwasiak
kwasiak
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Arboretum of Los Angeles County

  • September 25, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
Arboretum of Los Angeles County

We visited the Los Angeles Arboretum on a Saturday and still found it to be an entirely uncrowded place. Part of that has to do with its large size, but there were still probably less than 50 in the whole place including the staff. The biggest group we ran into was a small group celebrating a quinceanera. The place was the most enjoyable place we visited in Los Angeles because we could truly enjoy it without a crowd of people ruining it. I will admit the hot humid weather made it unenjoyable in some areas, such as the rose garden and desert garden areas, which had no shade, but it was an overall wonderfully relaxing experience. If only it did not close early because of an event it was holding. Normal hours of operation are 9am to 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (62 and over), $5 for students with ID, $2.50 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5.

The Arboretum is full of different habitats and plants from around the world put together in beautiful landscapes. One of the gardens I found most unique was the Sunset Magazine Demonstration Garden. This garden was full of different plants and patio setups made for photographing and use the magazine. It is definitely a nice quiet place to relax and enjoy the plants harmonizing with the architecture.

Another one of my favorite areas was the African section, which was full mostly of different desert plants. The walkways through the plant areas offer interesting views of African plant life, but there is little shade making it a place you probably do not want to be for long on a hot sunny day.

There are several nice shady areas surrounding Baldwin Lake in the middle of the Arboretum. The collections in this area include the Tropical Forests, Cycad Collection, and Redwood Grove. There is plenty of shade here to escape the afternoon sun, but be prepared for some tough dirt paths if you have a stroller or wheelchair to push.

One of the last areas we checked out was the Meyberg Waterfall. It is supposedly famous appearing in many movies, ads, and paintings, but I sure did not recognize, so I am not sure how famous it actually is. I will say though that is rather beautiful.

From journal Long Weekend in the Los Angeles Area II

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