Bay Area outdoors: 4 spectacular urban parks, gardens to explore close to home

Bay Area outdoors: 4 spectacular urban parks, gardens to explore close to home via The Mercury News [Shared]

You don’t have to hit the backcountry — or the smoke-choked Sierra or currently-closed national forests — to get a dose of nature. There are gorgeous parks and public greens tucked among the skyscrapers and asphalt of Bay Area cities, from a rooftop park in San Francisco to a historic garden in Palo Alto and botanical wonders in the Berkeley hills.

Here’s just a sampling of beautiful spots for sauntering close to home — including one that sets pianos among the plants.

Read Bay Area outdoors: 4 spectacular urban parks, gardens to explore close to home