On a pretty cold March day I did not have anything to do (for once) so figured I would take a quick hike. I’ve driven by this park hundreds of times and decided I’d like to hike the grounds and see what is actually there. I’ll say, the arboretum is much bigger than I though and goes much deeper from the roadway than it appears. Here’s my walk:
The park has very wide dirt trails with occasional trails of grass. The park is an arboretum, meaning there are lots and lots of trees, though trails sometimes meander around and through the trees, and sometimes cut through fields. I walked the exterior before I explored the center. In the back of the park there are monuments at the base of trees dedicated to many volunteers and supporters of the park. And, many of the perimeter trails skirt residential areas.
The month of March saw many days of snow, more than seemed normal.
I didn’t know there was a creek running through the park.
Towards the back of the park there is a definite change, the trees seem older.
There is no trail map, not even a kiosk where you would be able to obtain one. While the main trails are wide and it’s not hard to get lost you do need to keep an eye on where you are walking. At one point I turned on to a small trail and walked a while only to realize I wasn’t really going anywhere – I had stumbled onto a deer path. And I wasn’t alone:
The sun started to show as I was nearing the end of my walk, and I would guess the temperatures had warmed up to the low 50s. Many times I came to places where snow had melted and water blocked my path.
All in all, this was a great getaway for two hours or so. And, I felt great to explore an area I was not familiar with. If you are in the area and want to kill some time without any hills or any real challenges, F Bliss Price arboretum is worth the trip.
Tick count: 0 – it’s a little early in the season. (I bet in the summer there are tons.)
Hiked: 3/10/2018