Markham Nature Park and Arboretum is a dog-friendly 17-acre island full of natural beauty near the heart of downtown Concord. People who visit for the first time are surprised that such a lovely, natural park exists inside the city limits. The Markham is unique among local parks as the emphasis is on quiet discovery.
Markham Nature Park and Arboretum’s serene setting includes a very active nursery stocked with the unique, unusual, and whimsical items and staffed by landscapers, arborists, native plant enthusiasts and master gardeners.
You won’t want to miss the International Garden, a sprawling-yet-compact set of demonstration gardens with the park surrounding the Bud Hansen Arbor. This area displays plants from climates like ours that will motivate and inspire you to try them in your garden.
The park also has separate rose and camellia gardens, a bee farm, a community garden and a path that links to other parks.
The Markham Tree Walk will introduce you to forty-five different species of trees in the Markham Nature Park. Many of these trees are native to California. You will also see trees from the other parts of the world that share the same Mediterranean climate as that in Concord – Australia, South Africa, South America and Europe. Many of these trees are drought tolerant and thrive in Northern California.
The Tree Walk is especially lovely on a hot day—as hundreds of trees shelter you in dappled shade. So take your time and enjoy this jewel in our community.
Markham is Concord’s secret garden, still waiting to be discovered by many residents of the area — like you!
Dogs must remain on leash.
