1. Dunnell Nature Park

1. Dunnell Nature Park

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Fairfield, CA

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Dunnell Nature Park

4.3 (8 reviews)

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This place is a beautiful place , we did our family portraits there. We live in the area it’s just beautiful
Kimberley B.

We love this place , we live on the same street where the park is. We feed the peacocks and we took our family portrait there. I recommend that you go for photos , Romantic picnic for two or just a quiet walk or to meditate. Just beautiful.

HAPA Boy on "Pride Rock" (Well, at least in his own head.) - Big Aloha!
Darrell P.

HAPA and I stumbled across Dunnell Nature Park one day when I brought him for an early morning walk @ the Rolling Hills Neighborhood Park, just across and down the street... 'Score! Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=EFTJWIUfwbituVhuVnMXtg The Dunnell Nature Park is still a work in progress and I have to say, "It looks GREAT!" One factor which I find to be a huge plus @ any park - Dog poop bag stations! Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=FETolgHRcWTvbDBR5IcyRg Why is it that with so many parks in the local area, sh*t sack stations are hard to come by? I usually always have my own bags but there are many people who don't. Before moving to the Vacaville/ Fairfield area just over 18 months ago, I lived in the OC where 9/10 parks had poop bags readily available resulting in less piles of crap spread throughout.... 'And the opposite holds true for parks without crap bags, the sh*t is stacked high. (Sighs) It doesn't take much if individuals did their part to take care of their parks, pick up their trash, after their dog, simple stuff. Ignorant, lazy bastards. HAPA Boy on Pride Rock - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=3WL_9Tqzfl4LN1tknyIzVw Okay, back to the park!... Located on the corner of Hilborn Road and Hillridge Drive in the Rolling Hills subdivision, the Dunnell Property is known by several names including the Peacock Ranch and Dunnell-Burton Ranch. It is adjacent to 770 acres of City owned and managed open space properties. The Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center was envisioned by a citizen advisory committee. The committee created a comprehensive plan that preserves the natural characteristics of this 6.2-acre site on Hilborn Road. The land was left to the City in 1998 by the Dunnell family for a park. The plan was approved by the City Council in 2004. The interactive, nature park will feature a demonstration garden, home for the peacocks, woodlands, grassland restoration area, and a creek. Proposed park layout - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=E0B6Zsxe9F1QmSKcdJLNvw There has been some controversy surrounding the funding and maintenance of the park which have continued to hinder the project to date. Team Slytherin - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=NBeMXmG6GT7bQTPt-PuEAw There are three buildings currently on the property, one is used by Girl Scouts and they'll continue to have full access to the building while the park is being created. Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=s4o-coQ35E-Wrb_rNLE8RA There also are two homes on the property as well one structure will be renovated, while the other demolished due to it being too costly to seismically retrofit. Dog on a Log - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dunnell-nature-park-fairfield?select=ODEk-VjyZEeS5DmYSLHzZg The home that remains will be the new nature education center at the park and will have three program areas where interior education displays connect to the outdoor environment. Additionally, the interactive nature park will feature a demonstration garden, home for peacocks, woodlands, grassland restoration area and a creek. Several diseased and ill formed trees will be removed before construction begins. The downed trees will be chipped and the mulch will be used to help establish the new project landscaping. Any native trees removed will be mitigated in accordance with City Code. I really hope that this up & coming park continues and grows into its full fruition. - Big Aloha! Food: n/a Ambiance: 4+ (PiP - Park in Progress; looking good) Service: 5 Value: 5+

Peacocks eating.
Mark B.

Nice relaxing place with plenty of shade. Lots of birds singing and a small creek on the side.

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1 year ago

I liked the peacocks running around everywhere and yelling. There isn't much to do except walk though, but I still had fun

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3 years ago

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6 years ago

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11 years ago

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9 years ago

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I recently found out about this place from a friend's Instagram story when they went. So I made…read moresure to plan a hike here for when I had time. I was able to come here in the middle of the week around noon. The GPS made this place easy to find. There is plenty of parking here at pena adobe park and lagoon valley park. The hike is located at lagoon valley park, so don't mix those up. You do have to pay $5 for parking, and the machine kiosk was broken when I went, but you can still pay through the park mobile app, which is what I did. The hike is listed as moderate, but felt borderline difficult to me (maybe I'm just out of shape). There is a lot of up hill when you first start, and because there wasn't a lot of shade combined with me going on the hottest day of the week (low 80 degrees), it did make it feel more difficult. After I parked, I was a bit confused on where to go so had to ask someone finishing up their hike for the direction. I was instructed to go up the main trail past the gate for the main trail to the lighthouse at the top. There are lots of trails here, but the one to the top of the hill is the most popular, and probably the most difficult). Once you park in the lot by the lake/pond, you cross the road to the grassy side and follow that trail to the gate that keeps the cows inside. There is another easier hike/walk your can take around the lake/pond, which is mostly flat. The views on this hike are great. Despite it being a little warmer, the breeze helped a lot. I liked the views and made it to the top after about 1 and a half hours. In total, it took me about 2 hours to finish the hike. And that's with a 20 minute break halfway going uphill. Going downhill is a lot faster. I'll be back for one of the other trails and how to bring family and friends to join.

We made a quick stop here so that I could do some birding while on a roadtrip through the area…read more What a great park! There is a great trail around the lake where you can view many waterbirds. Trees and bushes hide smaller birds and provide shade in spots. It looked like they had lots of picnic tables, playgrounds for kids etc. We were not here long, so I'm sure there was a lot more to see and do.

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Magnolia Park

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I absolutely love this park! I took my toddler here to burn some energy and she had a blast at both…read morethe little kid section and the 5&up sections of the park. I love the little play creatures like the ladybug and the goat salamander. The water pad will be amazing when it's open in the summer! I'm looking forward to future visits!

My little one and her cousins really enjoyed visiting this park throughout the summer. It was a…read morenice way for them to beat the heat while enjoying themselves. Magnolia Park is still newer, so of course it looks beautiful and well-kept. There are covered bench and table areas to enjoy a picnic or even throw a party. Those, unfortunately, are the only shaded areas at the park. Given how hot Vacaville can get, this is quite disappointing. The dining areas are fairly clean, for the most part. We will, unfortunately, always have individuals who will not clean up after themselves though. In regard to play areas, there are a couple areas where both big kids and little ones can enjoy. The jungle gym areas have bark to help soften kids' falls. I'm personally not a fan of the bark, since it gets in shoes, cause splinters, and what not. Thankfully, other areas have a thicker rubber covering the ground. There is also a water station where kids can play and enjoy playing in the cool water. This was a huge hit for many of the kids (and adults with their children) during the summer.

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Children's Play Area
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Children's Play Area

Dunnell Nature Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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