With many workers across the country grinding at work eight hours per day, it can be difficult to find time to take a break in nature — especially in industrialized urban cities.
In response, folks have begun taking “micro-escapes” during the day to center themselves. Three parks in the Golden State were named some of the top “green getaways” in the nation, in a poll held by mental health organization A Mission for Michael.
More than 3,000 respondents shared their favorite “micro-escapes” across the country.
Here’s what to know.
What is a ‘micro-escape’?
According to A Mission for Michael, a “micro-escape” is generally known as a space within an urban environment where people can visit for a brief break from the day-to-day hustle to sit in greenery and calm.
Dozens of parks, walkways, gardens and other spaces were considered as part of the nationwide poll.
“People don’t always need a weeklong vacation to reset — sometimes they just need 20 minutes somewhere green,” said Anand Meta, executive director of A Mission for Michael. “What stood out in this survey is how often the most restorative places aren’t hidden or remote. They’re right in the middle of city life — parks people walk through on their lunch break or pass on their way home. These spaces matter because they are accessible.”
Which California parks are the top ‘micro-escapes’?
Three parks in California were included in the top 30 “micro-escapes” nationwide, including one popular Sacramento space.
East Sacramento’s McKinley Park was ranked at No. 27 in the nation for getting away to nature in the middle of the workday. The poll lauded the park’s famed rose garden and “mature trees” for providing a quiet, calming space.
“McKinley Park offers a softer counterpoint to the government buildings and busier corridors closer to downtown,” A Mission for Michael said in a news release. “Spanning around 32 acres, the park is anchored by a small lake, looping walking paths, and one of the city’s best-known rose gardens, which draws quiet foot traffic rather than crowds.”
The decades old McKinley Park, photographed in 2022, features a library, rose garden, duck pond, swimming pool, two playgrounds, covered picnic area, several tennis courts and more. Scott Lorenzo Special to The Bee
Two Southern California parks were also included near the top of the list.
Central Park in Pasadena was ranked second overall in the country, behind only Kanahā Beach Park in Kahului, Hawaii.
The city park earned praise for its efficient use of its small space, as a “compact but steady patch of green in the middle of the city grid,” according to the mental health organization.
“Its mature trees and open lawn create an immediate sense of shade and breathing room,” A Mission for Michael’s news release said. “Walking paths trace the perimeter, benches line the edges, and the central lawn stays flexible — hosting everything from quiet afternoon reading to low-key community gatherings.”
Slightly further south, San Diego’s Kate Sessions Memorial Park earned a No. 22 spot on the mental health group’s list of “micro-escapes.”
“(Kate Sessions Memorial Park’s) 79 acres of open hillside create physical distance from downtown’s noise and density, replacing traffic and concrete with sweeping views of Mission Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and the skyline in the distance,” the news release said. “The park’s simplicity — broad lawns, scattered picnic tables, and unstructured walking paths — is part of its appeal.”
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This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 12:48 PM.
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Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.