A botanical garden where you can enjoy nature

We were featured in the Hidden San Diego Instagram .
A reminder that its always a good time to walk this gem of North County!

The Edwin And Frances Hunter Arboretum Entrance stone, where all the arboretum tours begin.

Arboretum Admission

Admission to the Arboretum is free and opens to the public from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset.

Located at 1140 West Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069

Parking

A parking permit is required, and can be purchased online using the ParkMobile app. ($1/hour)

Use Zone #7514 for visitor spaces.

Palomar Parking & Procedures

Trail Maps and Accessibility

Arboretum main trail maps are available, but please know that our entire campus is part of the Arboretum. All main trails are wheelchair accessible

Wander wonder and enjoy the amazing collection of plants that are on display.

2026 Garden Themes

Current Themes on the San Marcos Campus

Botanical Resources

Wayne's Word, an online textbook of natural history

We are proud of our colleague, Professor Emeritus Wayne Armstrong, who has amassed an enormous amount of botanical information and other natural phenomena for which he is world-renowned. This information includes a thorough discussion of the plants and history of the arboretum. This information can be found on his website, Wayne’s Word.

Review the latest online articles and information from Wayne’s Word on the interesting plants at Palomar College.

Historical Information

In 2015, the Palomar College Arboretum was renamed Edwin and Frances Hunter Arboretum at Palomar College. View the news article for this event. Click Here for more information.

Recent Events

Botanical Record Breakers, Controversies, and Curiosities

October 3, 2026

This talk and walk featured Professor Emeritus Wayne Armstrong discussing some of the awe-inspiring mysteries and oddities of the diverse botanical life on our planet.

Avoiding Mistakes in the Garden; A How To for Gardens of All Types and Sizes

May 9th, 2026

This talk and walk focused on how to avoid some common mistakes most gardeners make in the garden. Irrigation, xeriscaping, renovations, integrating native plants into the landscape, pests, and diseases in the garden were discussed.