Chesapeake Arboretum — Attraction in Chesapeake

I rented the gazebo and surrounding area (Pecan Grove) at the end of June 2019, for a "Celebration of Life Ceremony" for my mother. My family and I chose the arboretum because of it's serene and intimate setting. Perfect for those smaller events where one may require shelter with lighting and electricity. The rental process was so easy and very affordable. They even throw in 30 chairs with the rental!

Two days before our event, I received a call from Chuck (one of the park staff) who assured me that the area would be mowed, edged, and ready to go for us. It was! Even took care of a small wasp nest for us, lol. He was personable and friendly, offering us his condolences upon learning why we had rented the venue. The day of our event, we were met by Chuck personally. The entire area was beautiful. Chuck was so friendly and helpful. He stuck close by during our event in case we needed anything. My family sends out a big thanks to Chuck for his kindness. He deserves a raise! ;) My only complaint, was that the ceiling fan in the gazebo was not working. Still, it didn't detract from our event enough to cause that much concern. All of the attendees absolutely loved the area and our event. We loved this hidden gem...

This is a really nice trail. I'm not sure what the definition of an Arboretum is, but I will say this is NOT jam packed with a lot of flowers (at least as of August 2023). Even without a lot of color, it's a very nice trail to walk with a lot of little bridges, natural canopies, mushrooms on the ground, creepy looking trees, and some bits of water, a couple of tiny benches, and a wooden viewing platform. It's not too long but if you're not accustomed to trails you can get a little lost because things start looking the same but there are maps at some of the bridges which are lettered to differentiate them so you can get back on track. I did NOT get to look at the side where the parking lot is with the gazebo and some flowers so there's a bit more to see there.

PARK HACK!! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that if you exit at Entrance 3, you get a whole other little bonus park to explore!! Oak Brooke Park has a fairly short straight trail that leads to a more typical recreational park. So it's like you get 2 parks for...

Understanding this is a small area with some community trails in a slightly wooded area, and you'll have reasonable expectations. The area is surrounded on one side with older concrete three story apartment buildings, and 2 sides by 500k+ houses. However, once you are in and on the trails, it really feels nice. I'm willing to bet in the spring, summer, and fall that the missing winter foliage provides an even stronger illusion of isolation. However even in the winter, on a busy 70 degree Sunday afternoon, and just a couple of blocks from the highway and interstate... I can't recall hearing a single car to disturb the peace and quiet. There are a fair amount of hilly, root, and branch strewn pathways, but nothing rigorous or haphazard. There was a nice flower or orchard fenced area i didn't take time to inspect. There were a couple of 8 to 10 foot piles of leaves in the back area that could use some attention. Overall though, just a nice little gem for a short quiet hike that is hidden right in the middle-middle of...