A walk through the Cox Arboretum
Arboretums are quite popular here in the United states of America. Way more popular than in my home country, because we only have one single arboretum, and there are five arboretums just in the greater Dayton area. One of my favourite ones is situated just seven miles away from where I currently live, and besides the awesome vegetation and some animals, it also has three great hiking trails. It is called Cox Arboretum, and in this entry, you can read more about why I like it so much.
How to get there and when is the best time to visit Cox Arboretum?
Cox Arboretum is a part of Five Rivers Metro Parks and it is situated at 6733 North Springboro Pike in Dayton, Ohio, very close to The Greene shopping center. Hint: after strolling through Cox Arboretum, you can go there and check another cool place out. Regardless on which direction you are coming from, the entrance to Cox Arboretum is very clearly marked.
Cox Arboretum is open daily from eight o’clock in the morning to eight o’clock in the evening. There is a big parking area, so you will definitely find a parking spot, and the parking is situated right next to the first pond. If you want the whole arboretum for yourself, best times to visit are weekdays before lunch. You might bump into an occasional jogger, but no kids, since they are at school at that time. If you go there on a weekend, expect quite a few people in the arboretum area, but the hiking trails are almost empty at all times.
Ponds, plants, educational center and a maze
Right next to the parking lot, you will notice a big building. This is the so - called Educational center, dedicated to the arboretum, and it offers different exhibitions about the arboretum, the animals and plants that you can find there. And the most important thing - there are restrooms, which you should use before you set out to the trails, because there are no other restrooms in the arboretum.
They occasionaly host events in the Educational center, and local schools often take field trips there. So if you visit Cox arboretum on a sunny spring weekday, you might be surrounded by a lot of kids.
The view of the educational center in Cox arboretum from the parking lot. As you can see from the picture, the place is pretty big.
You will find quite a few ponds in the Cox Arboretum, and they are filled with turtles and giant koi fish. Perfect for taking pictures. Just do not fall inside. I have actually seen a guy fall into the pond, because he was trying to take a closer look at the koi fishes and he slipped because the pond banks are slippery. It was hilarious. But do not attempt to repeat it.
The pond next to the educational center. This was a cloudy day and, as you can see, no other people were there, so I had the place all to myself.
Then, you will find a tiny maze next to one of the ponds. Do not expect an actual corn maze or something. This is more like a bush maze (if such thing even exists), and it is meant for little kids, because if you are an adult, you are tall enough to see over the bushes (they only came up to my knees) and therefore it is more than easy to find the way out.
Butterfly house and the lookout tower
I have not mentioned that yet, but I have a phobia of butterflies. Do not ask why, because I have no idea. All I know is that they are basically just flying spiders (yes, I have a phobia of spiders too) and when one of them is close to me, I start hyperventilating and I just want to die. So, needless to say, I never entered the butterfly house at Cox Arboretum. Or any other butterfly house, for that matter.
But from what others told me, the Cox Arboretum butterfly house is super cool and very informative, and a lot of butterflies will land on you when you are walking through. And I am having goosebumps just thinking about it.
The lookout tower is currently under renovation, but they are planning to reopen it in spring. It is situated right next to the butterfly house, and the views from the top are just astounding. I went to the top multiple times before they started renovating it, and I just wanted to stay there and admire the views. The downside - there are quite a few stairs to climb before you reach the top. But trust me, it is worth it!
Hiking trails
The area with the trails might seem hard to navigate, but it is extremely well marked, and there are quite a few maps throughout the park. There is a water fountain at the beginning of the trails, so you can fill your water bottle there, but not in winter - they shut the water off because the pipes could freeze. So, these are the trails you can choose from.
This picture was taken in fall on one of the trails. It was beautiful.
Blue trail is the easiest of all three, and it is literally just a circle around a meadow, and you will also pass a small pond on the way. Hiking this trail will only take you ten to fifteen minutes, but it is still fun.
This part of the blue trail somehow reminded me of a horror movie scenery. I have seen a lot of horror movies, but I still enjoyed this part of the trail without freaking out (too much) that a monster will jump at me. Also, when walking this trail, keep in mind that there is a lot of frogs, so watch your step. If you do not, you might step on one, like I did, and I felt like the worst person ever because of it.
Red trail takes longer to hike - the fastest I was able to hike it was twenty five minutes, and I was walking really fast. This trail goes through a meadow, a clearing, and a very dense forest. Bird sounds will accompany you everywhere, and you will also cross a small stream on the way. Most of this trail goes through the forest, which makes it a perfect place for a hike in summer, since there is plenty of shade, and the scenery on this trail is really peaceful and beautiful. You will also encounter a few signs, telling you about the wildlife in the area, and, of course, the plants. You are, after all, in an arboretum.
Yellow trail is the longest of the three trails in Cox Arboretum, and my favourite of all three trails there. It has quite a few steep hills, and there are never too many other hikers there. For a part of the trail, you will be joining the yellow trail route, and then wander away from it again. The yellow trail will take you from thirty to forty minutes to hike, but you will forget about the time because you will be too busy admiring the scenery. There are also a few benches along the way so you can take a much needed rest.
Another part of the trail, painted with beautiful autumn colours.
A few words for the end…
Cox Arboretum is a great place for just walking around, getting educated or bringing your food and having a picnic on the pond shore. Just remember that you are not allowed to bring alcohol into the Cox Arboretum. But why would you even want to? This place is really beautiful and you should dedicate your full attention to exploring its hidden places. If you can, visit Cox Arboretum in fall - the autumn coloured leaves on the trees are just beautiful.
