WPA Rock Garden

Minus 1 star for not having much in the way of interesting rocks. The WPA Rock Garden in land park rocks, thanks to a wide array of wildflowers, succulents and a few trees and shrubs that come as close as we get in Sac to an arboretum.
I came by during a festival in the spring with my mom and was surprised that there weren’t many rocks. It is an actual garden with lots of native plants, drought-​tolerant plants, and a ton of wildflowers. There are trees interspersed throughout the area with a mix of sun and shade. Multiple levels and pathways lead through the complex maze of plants. You’ll find many benches and other seating opportunities, as well as a few pieces of public art. Great for kids, they love to play among the plants and run and hide around the paths.
Head over to the WPA Rock Garden any time of year to show off this beautiful park and the variety of wonderful plants you can grow in our area.

I had a full afternoon to myself to wander around Sacramento and was planning a trip to William Land Park and the zoo. I had read about the WPA Rock Garden but wasn’t sure if it would be easy to find or worth a stop. It turns out, it was both! The garden looks small from the outside, but once you venture in, it contains deceptively more paths and flowers than I expected. Coming on the last day of spring, there were still quite a few flowers in bloom and the emphasis seems to be on native plants. I was surprised at how lush and colorful the garden was.
Small paths meander throughout and there are a few spots to sit and enjoy the garden. Although you are not too far from the main park, the noise and traffic fade away. Lots of butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to watch and if I lived nearby, I can see this being a great spot for peace and solitude.
If you love gardens and enjoy taking a few deep breaths, surrounded by nature, this is a lovely little garden spot and a not-​so-​hidden gem in Sacramento.

If you are visiting the zoo or fairytale land the wpa rock garden is a great place to stroll through. The area is small but is full of lush greenery, flowers and trees. At the end of the rock trail there is a gazebo swing which is a great place to sit back and enjoy your surroundings. Take a walk down by the pond and check out the ducks and their cute ducklings. Watch out for the goose poop it everywhere.

This has been a consistently awesome portrait session location! There are so many options here as well as many many varieties of plant life! This has proven an entertaining spot for the little ones as well as a great point of interest for the older folks. This will continue to be a go to spot for Stim!

Awesome little gem in the city. Found a couple plants we’d like to get for our home and we could see them in full sun and partial. So much easier to know where to plant when you can see in a garden and not a store. Love the smokey trees and dill plants. And the tree with the purple and white flowers that I haven’t found the name yet. Don’t think I have a shady enough spot anyways but loved that tree.

Small but pretty and peaceful. If you’re near the zoo stop by for a visit.

We stopped here while «touring» around Sacramento. It was a great stop. Beautiful flowers, and it was a beautiful day.

There are some weeks that are so stressful I feel like my head is going to shoot off like a champagne cork. Those are the times the WPA Rock Garden is my spot to relax and have a moment of peace.
It isn’t very big, but it’s in the middle of William Land Park, easily accessible, and never crowded. No matter what season there is always something lush or blooming to admire. Busy bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds flit around and sometimes lizards scurry between the bushes. There are small paths and spots to sit. One of the things I really like is that you can’t see the entire garden from any one spot and don’t always know what is around the corner. There are many different types of plants/​flowers, but they aren’t labeled, so it might be fun to bring an identification book. It’s a great opportunity for photography, Scouting achievements, or just getting away from it all.

Set in the lush greenery of William Land Park, is the WPA Rock Garden. Next to the Fairytale Town, the Sacramento Zoo, Golf Course and Amphitheater and Sport Fields. It’s a nice park to take a walk through on a Sunny Saturday.
I would have never guessed that this was the name of the park since it looks like a Botanical Garden with the colorful flowers and thriving plants are the focus of this area.
I would love to learn the names of some of the plants I saw and took pictures of, but when I googled Botanical plants I realized I was in over my head with different plant species. I wish they had little name tags for the plants like some other Botanical Gardens do.

One clever and industrious husband +
one sunny winter day +
two young children who like pirates +
one torn piece of a brown paper grocery bag made into a treasure map +
several stray gumball prizes found around the house +
loose change from pockets +
one tin box +
a trip to the rock garden =
One hour of outdoor fun looking for hidden pirates’ treasure around the rock garden.
Loot dumped out at adjacent amphitheater and booty distributed equally to pirates-​in-​training.
Arrrrrrrr.

I read Gretchen’s review and decided to take my 9 year-​old here. It’s actually very nice, even in Fall. When we arrived, we let the boy lead the way and take us on the path of his choosing. There were so many different types of plants, trees, cactus, and bushes here… many of which I’d never seen before. My only gripes are that I wish it were bigger (it’s actually only about 50 square yards, and you can make your rounds in a matter of minutes, unless you take your time) and that it’s probably much nicer looking during Spring. We’ll give it another go for sure.