MENLO PARK, Calif. -- It's the best of both worlds: outdoor green spaces and vibrant big cities. Sunset magazine has recommendations in its April issue for 10 places to enjoy springtime in the West without leaving civilization.

In San Diego, there's Balboa Park, with its Botanical Building and Lily Pond, plus museums and gardens.

In Sacramento, William Land Park offers green space, big trees, the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town.

In Seattle, Carkeek Park has six miles of walking trails, as well as views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

Golden Gate Park is a must-see in San Francisco, home to a bison herd, the Conservatory of Flowers and a Japanese tea house.

In Phoenix, South Mountain Park/Preserve offers 16,000 desert acres and a program called "Silent Sundays," where one Sunday a month, the park's main Central Avenue-access roadways are closed to motorized vehicles.

Denver's Central Park at Stapleton features 80 acres of woods, flowers, a playground - and a view of the city skyline.

Forest Park is one of Portland's outdoor gems, with 5,000 acres of woods, trails and scenic views of the mountains.

Albuquerque Biological Park includes an aquarium, the Rio Grande Botanic Garden, a zoo and Tingley Beach, where you can fish or rent pedal boats or bikes. Last fall, the park opened a four-acre Japanese-themed garden.

Sunset magazine says Los Angeles' "wildest oasis" is Griffith Park. The park's trails are still recovering from a fire last year, but the park is also home to the Griffith Observatory and Autry National Center. The magazine recommends the park's Trails Cafe as a "rustic yet four-star concession."

The jewel of Vancouver is Stanley Park, where you'll find woods, gardens, waterfront and cricket being played in the park's Brockton Oval.