Alta Vista Gardens

What a hidden jewel! You should understand that there are only two botanical gardens in the SD area, the one in Encinitas and this one. Now, the Vista garden is smaller, but it’s very sweet. It is also a sculpture park, even more so that the Encinitas garden. There are just lots of very appealing, lovely art in the garden. There’s quite a lot of variety, including a labyrinth and a children’s music garden, which is also fun for adults.
The honor-​system admission was just raised to $ 5 for adults.
Also, you should know what there is not. There is no food or beverage of any kind, even the drinking fountains don’t work. So bring a picnic. There are lovely places to eat your own lunch. There is also no much paved walks. So bringing your grandma in her walker or her wheelchair might not work too well. There are two porta-​toilets, but they’re extremely hard to find. (One is immediately to the left of the entrance, the other is to the right of the entry to the labyrinth. There are no toilets in any of the permanent structures, none of which are open to the public. There are two toilets just outside the garden. These were closed for paving when we were there, but presumably will be reopened and are much easier to find.
So remember, bring food and water, and enjoy!

Before Vista had beer gardens there was the Alta Vista Botanical Garden.
On top of the Alta Vista Gardens park is the fenced off «Botanical Gardens». Admission is $ 3 based on the honor system. Be prepared for a nice walk on dirt and stone paths. Don’t worry, there are plenty of relaxing spots to sit down and take in the tranquility. While the distance of the trails are not intense by any means, there are many winding paths that can give you a good workout.
Path markings are non existent around the gardens so I suggest to just walk in any direction. If you see a side path, take it! Who knows what adventure you’ll find.
Notes
— Very kid friendly
— A cool music garden with various musical pieces that can actually create some pretty cool… noises.
— The metal artwork of Ricardo Breceda can be found throughout the gardens (Serpent, Dinosaurs, Scorpion, Agave, and more). Tip — If you like this artwork, there is an army of sculptures off the side of the road on 44 450 Highway 79 in Aguanga. The Unilocal page is address is wrongs, but the Map Marker is correct.

— Only chem-cans…Go potty before coming here.

Beautiful, quiet, secluded. Great place to relax and take in Vista’s scenery. Lots of tables scattered around where you can enjoy lunch. Vista’s little secret!

I love this place! It’s only $ 3 to go walk around the gardens. It’s especially fun for kids because of the kids musical area.
The gardens are huge. I’ve never walked through the whole thing but my one and a half year old loves the instruments in the kids area. There’s also a tunnel, butterfly teepee, and some dinosaur statues.
Cheap, fun and easy activity. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there’s only porta potties

A small little garden that sits up top the hill from the Brengle terrace park. The garden is kinda desolate, place needs a little work. The admission is $ 3, which is fair price not really expensive.

I’m amazed at the great reviews of this garden. We walked around thinking where is the pretty part, are we missing something? Yes, there are paths but its just all brush, no plantings to speak of just natural terrain. A few metal sculptures but that’s about it.
Absolutely not a destination spot at all! We were really disappointed and would never recommend it at all!!!

Wow, so beautiful and in my back yard. Though it is a huge undertaking because it is so large, I felt a great serene calm to the Alta Vista Gardens. It is still under construction and has a way to go. I wish them the best of luck and I would like to contribute in any way I can. The sculptures and and plants really blend nicely and I can’t wait to see the new enhancements. Don’t miss this cosmic portal as it is extremely gorgeous.

Absolutely fantastic. Considering this is a community garden it’s amazing to see what the community has done with such a place.
The sculptures, the kids’ musical instruments (that are, perhaps, more fun for adults, even), the variation in vegetation and the streams and bungalows.
I feel like becoming a member. This feeling has never overcome me before.
Go!

I know nothing about gardens but this place is a hidden gem for Vista. Donated land and an all volunteer staff have created a wonderful botanical garden. Take the family, take a date, and enjoy a quite afternoon with plants and short trails.
Bring a lunch or snack. No giftshop nor snackbar. Plenty of tables and benches to enjoy views.

Alta Vista Gardens is a very nice garden in Vista. It is near the Moonlight Amphitheater and Brengle Terrace Park. Its an amazing place when you consider all the people are volunteers. They have nice sculptures and trails. Its only $ 2 to enter and it seems like a nice place to take kids.