Cowling Arboretum — Local services in Northfield

I'm not sure why this nature reserve has some not very good reviews. Parking and finding a spot isn't hard to find. The walk is beautiful. You get a bunch of different beautiful pictures and animals. It's relaxing and calming. There are maps along the way in case you don't normally go on a daily basis so you can't even get lost! Depending on the time of day you visit, its not even busy! The most people you'll probably run into would be the people fishing in front of the trail. Otherwise not a lot of people! The trail consists of different terrain. Starts off with just some grass and some rocks. Goes into a sandy area that doesn't last too long. There are miles of trails, different ways you can take. There are some hills, but it isn't even that bad. The views and the quietness will be worth the hike and different areas of the trails. There will be a lot of trees for nice shade. Some spots where you can find a bench to sit down and relax. One tunnel to go through. If you take the trail long enough it can take you to the upper part...

Miles of trails! This is a great place to come to enjoy nature. I used Gaia Maps to help me navigate around the trails because it is a bit of a maze. There are trail signs which is very helpful but Gaia was still helpful. My last hike in mid-August was in the evening/dusk (after sunset) on the trails by the river (upper arboretum). I saw so many deer and saw a beaver on the river. After nightfall, the fireflies came out! That was really fun to see. Not too many birds as it was not the right time of day but I did see a flock of geese on the river.

In winter, I come here for the...

One of the highlights of Northfield, and great to visit in any season. The summer of course offers miles of hiking trails through prairies, forests, and rivers with lush green vegetation. The fall has amazing displays of foliage, especially in upper arb. During the winter, many of the trails are groomed into cross country skiing trails, and the rest are open for snowshoeing. And in the spring, it's always nice to see life re-emerge from the cold. There are plenty of places to park, enter, sit, or have a picnic throughout, so there's no need to plan your day meticulously to...