Address: 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
Phone: (818) 949-4200
Park features: Restrooms, Easy Hiking, City Views, Picnic Tables, Parking Lot, Filming Location, Nature Center, Drinking Water, ADA Accessible, Event Facilities, Wedding Venue
Located near the intersection of the 2 and 210 Freeways in La Cañada/Flintridge, Descanso Gardens harbors an abundance of celebrated floral gardens in a unique and natural setting. This 165-acre oasis is flanked on the north by the San Gabriel Mountains and on the south by the San Rafael Hills. The world's largest outdoor planting of camellias is found within Descanso Gardens, which has more than 100,000 plants adorning its scenic paths of a California live oak forest. Two renowned rose gardens are featured at Descanso Gardens as well: the Rose History Garden which contains a collection of significant international roses, some of which date back to ancient times; and the All-America Rose Selections Garden, which samples every variety of roses having received that prestigious distinction. Descanso Gardens abounds in magnificent displays of annuals and perennials. These include azaleas, daffodils, irises, lilacs, orchids, and tulips. Framed against a hillside of chaparral is the Native Plant Garden. These wonderfully varied gardens provide a peaceful stroll amidst some of the greatest natural splendor in all of California. There are ponds with ducks to feed, as well as a variety of other birds from the Bird Observation Station on the lakeshore. The Tea House offers a relaxing rest stop that overlooks the Japanese Garden. Parking: Abundant free parking in the main parking lot.
Trails & hiking
Featured route: Descanso Gardens Inner Loop (trail details & live conditions on AllTrails)
- Distance: 1.3 mi (2.1 km) — Loop
- Elevation gain: 114 ft (35 m), high point 1364 ft
- Difficulty: Easy
- Typical time: 0.5–1 hr
- Rating: 4.7/5 (506 AllTrails reviews)
- Good for: Birding, Hiking, Walking
- On the trail: Kid-friendly, Forests, Wildflowers, Historic sites
Conditions vary by season. Check live weather and air quality on the AllTrails trail page before heading out.
Location
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
Approximate coordinates: 34.2046, -118.2139
View on OpenStreetMap
Photos
Nearby parks
Park description restored from the 2017 lamountains.com archive (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy). Trail statistics courtesy of AllTrails. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
