The Brenton Arboretum — Attraction in Iowa

This Arboretum is a hidden treasure. Whether you want to take a long walk in nature, learn all about trees, see what plants would look good in your own yard, or just have a relaxing picnic, the Brenton Arboretum is the place; and it's free.

If you haven't been there, take a lazy afternoon and visit. At first glance, it may appear that there isn't much to do at the arboretum, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The trails are great, and surprisingly educational. There is a cool playground. There's a pond, a pavillion, couple of cool streams, the nature center, and much more. You just have to look carefully to see all...

The main attraction for my family is the natural play area. The trails are nice and peaceful. Not much shade yet, so be prepared for that. And bring bug spray during buggy times! New in 2019 - the trail around the pond is now paved. The labyrinth is fun to do. Follow the road past the natural play area and pavilion, past the big willow tree and pull off to the right at the next parking area you come to. Then head back towards to the left (crossing the road) to the labyrinth. You can't see it from the road. It's not a hedge maze type structure. It's made of stones set...

We drove out to the Brenton Arboretum. The drive was fine, but I didn’t enjoy the gravel road when I was close to the location. They have a nice path around to drive and see everything if it is your first time and you want to take in the views. There was a small nature play area that looked like a lot of fun, but when we arrive there were many mosquitoes out and we couldn’t stay to play. I think we will try to go back...