Cox Arboretum MetroPark — Attraction in Miami Township

I grew up right next to the Cox Arboretum when I was a young man and I know this place like the back of my hand ...I could Traverse it blindly knowing where I was.

I give this a 4-star rating because... The hiking trails are really Excellent, I definitely recommend them for scenery and exercise and just pure solitude.... And the pond specially the middle pond area, maze, lots of nice areas, friendly people.

Here is my detailed review.

Outside of the wooded area they have some really nice brick walkways so people can enjoy the scenery, spend time walking and talking with your friends or families or just plain exercising etc...

The pond areas are very nice especially the middle pond that has the Rocky Creek area the bridge and also has the Overlook that looks out onto the pond itself, which adjacently has a nice picnic area... This is a very nice area probably my favorite area lots of turtles lots of birds lots of fish in these areas lots of places where you can sit down meditate, rest, talk to a friend... 99% of the people are respectful and civil...

The biggest drawback to me in the park is the Tower because when they put that Tower there they actually took a large chunk out of a Pine Forest that you could go to and meditate then it was a very quiet area but now that has been ruined by the big tower attraction, which by the way is a magnet for suicidal people, they had to postpone the opening day for this attraction because a man had got up there and jumped off and killed himself, and there has been subsequent other of times which the park keeps under wraps...

So overall I didn't think this was a good idea to add this... The tower is also pretty high, young children you have to keep a close eye on them or they could easily climb over the top and jump right off...

Another drawback is they do not have adequate drinking faucet facilities, they have one at the visitor center and one back by the Butterfly House... And that's it, same at the restroom facilities... The restroom facilities are located up by the visitor center they should have a another faucet and restroom facility back by the Tower or over by where the maze is or both... Because if you have children or yourself if you have to use the restroom or to get a drink then you have to track pretty far to get there God forbid if it's an emergency 😅...

There is lots of beautiful vegetation, lots of gardens in different areas, lots of very large oak trees and a few very large sycamores...

I can't understand why they tore down the house of Mr. Cox that he had built in the back when he used to owned the property, you think they could have used that as a Historical Museum of some sort... Or even a summer camp Education Center for Children.

Overall I would give this place a four, what brings it down to a four star is the Tower and lack of water faucets and restroom facilities, they could have used the money for the Towner for a lot better purposes throughout the park... Last time I checked they used to have a store inside but I think they took it out why, I don't know...

But I would definitely recommend going here just make sure if you go back and forth to the part of the park that you don't have to use the restroom and you don't have to get a drink bring a drink with you.... But in all honesty despite the Tower and the water and restroom facilities lack of... it is a wonderful place to recharge your batteries and reconnect with nature...

And enjoy friends and family...Also great place...

Beware dangerous dogs. Just visited here as of April 10th 2025. Seen aggressive dog almost bit a woman passing by a guy the dog was wild wrapping its leash around its owner while trying to get at the woman. Every time I come up here now there is a dog incident, the last time I came up here there was a dog barking ferociously up by the front pond at passerbys and then it was jumping into the pond trying to catch the fish while the owner and other onlookers were cheering the dog on this is no joke. Also me and my son had went here one day and a woman brought her dog up to me and my son and granddaughter inviting her to pet the dog and it nipped at her, the owner is like oh I don't know what's wrong try again the dog tried to take a chunk out of my granddaughter again. Not to mention that I see dog patties throughout the park... And to think our tax dollars are going for this I mean if people want to go to a dog park and then go to a dog park why does a nature sanctuary have to become a dog park? I've complained in a letter to the director and I got no response, it would be interesting to see throughout the entire Metro Park system how many people have been actually bit and attacked by dogs at the parks. It's time for Cox arboretum to change that policy back to what it was before with a no pet policy. It's bad enough that this has become commercialized for weddings which is annoying however at least it's not as bad as dealing with aggressive, barking dogs that could and can be dangerous... Enough is enough

I grew up next to here and have many great and fun memories of this place it's a beautiful nature preserve with lots of varieties of plants trees and animals however what most people don't know is they have now allowed coyotes into the park which can also be dangerous me and my son were walking back on the trail and then all the sudden a pack of them were screeching and howling... Just not a good idea... This might be okay for like the Germantown reserve but not at the Cox arboretum which is a lot closer to the city and the highway... I'm not sure what's next for Cox arboretum I guess the next thing they'll be bringing in will be black bears.... I personally think that whoever the director is needs to resign and need to bring in someone who will revert the rules back to no pets and get rid of the coyotes... The park is supposed to be for the enjoyment of the citizens... But how can you enjoy it when you're getting barked at Chase down by dogs seeing the dogs barking viciously at you... And now you have to worry about when you're out back on the trails if the coyotes are going to attack you... Personally I'm not afraid but little kids or older people, women? This Park when I was a kid was our go to place for hiking and exploring... It used to be a nature sanctuary now it's just become commercialized wedding ans dog park and that's why I give it a two...

If you can get to this place while the leaves are changing color in fall, it’s well worth it. Saying this up front for those nearby.

The most popular thing here seems to be the landscaped area in the front, which is indeed very pretty with some ponds and a very nice bridge along with some trees. The trees are obvious as this is an arboretum, but it is a nice view.

The next main attraction is further back, and it’s a tower that has you climb several flights if stairs to get to the top. The view didn’t seem much more special than being on the ground in this case, but I’m probably in the minority. If it’s your first time it’s easy to get confused on the way back and wander around the wrong way, and even easier to do so on the way out if you’re going counter-clockwise on the wooded trail. Signs are not everywhere, just in a couple of spots.

The trails in the back of this place are gorgeous, especially in October where you get the trail covered by orange and red leaves while most leaves are still in the trees. It’s a good hike that’s not too hard, with one major annoyance. When in the woods, you can clearly hear I-75 the entire time, and there’s more traffic sound than nature and it’s not close. It does not help with the mood. The good news is that the trails themselves are well marked, which is a surprise with how little there is of the sort in the more popular half. The trails saw little attention when I was there.

This is probably worth a visit if nearby, and if all you want is the main arboretum and visitor center it’s probably a 5. The 4 is because the longer hike potential is hurt by a couple of annoying things, but it’s still a...