If Flowers, Trees, Plants and birds are your thing then Niguel Botanical Preserve is the place for you! This Beautiful Botanical Garden has 18 acres of over 2000 plant species from around the world with over 4 miles of walking trails! Wowza! It’s a great place to feel transported and refreshed by nature!
Are Dogs Allowed at Niguel Botanical Preserve?
YES! Dogs ARE allowed at the Preserve! Dogs MUST be on a 6ft leash and you MUST pick up after your pet! The Preserve also requests that you stay on the designate trails so you don’t harm new and existing plants.
Niguel Botanical Preserve holds a very special place in Mom’s heart! Scooby and Mom took many beautiful strolls – meandering and taking photos of flowers, birds and the landscape as it changed throughout the years and seasons. Scoobs was a “regular” and our Fwiend Monty and crew always had a warm hello for Scooby and Mom.
Visit Scooby Smith’s Memorial Bench at Niguel Botanical Preserve!
We are PROUD to say the the Preserve is home to Scooby’s Memorial Bench! Mom Dedicated Scooby his very own bench in the Fall of 2019 because he loved walking in the garden and visiting with fellow garden lovers so much. Scooby and Mom Loved bird watching, finding the perfecting flowers, butterflies and plants to photograph on their wonderful walks!
Each Summer in June and July a momma hawk teaches her babies how to dig in leaves, send out big chirps and to play injured! Scooby and Mom would watch the baby hawks learn their skills every year from a bench near their trees.
One day Mr. Monty emailed Mom and said a bench needed replacing and asked if she was interested. It was the same bench Mom and Scooby sat and watched the hawks every summer! Of course it was a YES! Scooby’s Memorial Bench sits atop a hill overlooking the West side of the Preserve and is a great place to relax and take in the scenery.
Today, Mom Ella and Luna visit Scooby at is bench every Sunday which has become a beautiful new tradition for ScoobySundays! We take snackums, water, and our camera and walk the beautiful trails. We practice our Core Dog Training Commands, listen to birds, chat with Mr. Monty and his pup Ben and snap pics as much as possible.
We hope you visit Scooby’s Bench and enjoy the Preserve! It’s a beautiful way to get fresh air and exercise, zen out and Forest Bathe at the same time! Say hello to Monty and his Pup Ben and to the rest of the volunteers and tell them Scooby Angel sent you!
Tips for Your BEST Dog Friendly Adventure at Niguel Botanical Preserve in Laguna Niguel
Carry Water for You and Your Pup
The Preserve has lots of walking trails, hills, steps and little valleys! Much of the of the garden is in direct sunlight after 9am and it can get quite hot! The only water fountains at the Preserve are at the entrance at the bottom of the hill so, to best enjoy your experience (and not overheat) take water for both you and your pup, a dog bowl and snacks and find one of the many benches to hydrate and relax as needed! We recommend you visit the garden in early morning or at Sunset to avoid too much sun.
Plan to Relax!
This Botanical Preserve is also the PERFECT place to Forest Bathe! In Japan it’s known as Shinrin-Yoku. Basically it’s allowing yourself to restore in nature. We encourage you to enjoy your time at the garden without time restrictions so you can relax, meander, snack, hike, exercise, take photos and just “be”. Take a good book and lose yourself for awhile!
You can read more about Shinrin-Yoku Forest Bathing in Mom’s Fav Book…
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Tips for Getting the Best Photos at Niguel Botanical Preserve
If you like to practice photography, go early! By mid morning its full sun and your photos are blown out!
Around June and July a family of hawks raise their babies in the large trees next to Scooby’s bench! You should be able to hear them practicing their calls, pouncing in the leaves and cleaning their feathers and relaxing in the trees if you look up!
There’s lots of wildlife visiting the Preserve as well…hummingbirds, lizards, bees, squirrels and even rattlesnakes call the garden home. So, stay on the trails and keep your eyes and ears open for all the nature!
We hope you WUV Niguel Botanical Preserve as much as we do! Be sure to find Scooby’s Bench, have a snack and chat with Scoobs! Scooby LOVED people so much and we know his infectious happiness will bless your day!
