Hidden Botanical Garden

Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Sonoma Botanical Garden, hidden in the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a beautiful place for a quiet picnic. You’re allowed to bring in food and drinks; just pack it all out and don’t make a mess. The 25 acres of gardens wind up into the hillside via a variety of trails and among flowering shrubs, exotic shade trees, tranquil ponds, and even two waterfalls.

Grab a map from the visitor center and pay the entry fee, then stroll the 2 miles of winding gravel paths, getting up close to rare and endangered species from Asia. The entire garden has been grown from seeds collected from the wilds of China, Tibet, and other parts of the Himalayas. A katsura tree gives off a cotton-candy scent on warm days. You’ll also find the beautiful Dawn Redwood, giving shade to picnic tables by the upper pond. Thought to be extinct, these redwoods were found in a remote part of China. The map indicates several picnic tables quietly set throughout the space, including one near a charming bridge leading to a gazebo that gets bathed in afternoon sunlight. But they’re all pretty good!

For the most inspiring view, walk up to the Himalayan prayer flags on the eastern edge of the park, where a bench makes an ideal perch for looking out across Sonoma Valley and its acres of vineyards as the prayer flags rustle in the wind.

Wine Down Bonus: You’ll be very close to several wineries coming and going from Sonoma Botanical Garden on Sonoma Highway. We like Imagery Estate Winery.

BONUS: From May through October the gardens host Acoustic Sunsets on Wednesday evenings, featuring a fantastic lineup of musicians and groups who play in a grassy garden amphitheater. You can bring your own food and drinks (or buy wine on-site), plus blankets and lawn chairs. While Sonoma Gardens doesn't allow dogs generally, they do allow well behaved dogs at Acoustic Sunsets.