After Halloween and a 20-13 football loss to Ohio State, we all need a bit of nature to heal our souls.

The Arboretum has plenty to explore when it comes to its natural beauty. The garden offers a great deal when exploring the beauty of nature in its botanical features and installations. It is also next to the Palmer Museum of Art, so you can get the best of both man-made art and the art of nature.

Aside from the H.O. Smith Botanic Garden, the Arboretum also offers a few trails within Hartley Woods, the main one being the Gerhold Wildflower Trail.

Beyond the Gerhold Wildflower Trail, there are three other trails, as well as four other paths branching off the trails.

In hindsight, going on this hike by myself as someone with a very poor sense of direction wasn’t the smartest decision. There are many paths you can take but because of the amount of fallen leaves, they’re not super easy to follow. There are also no signs directing you on which path is where, so once you’re in the forest, where you end up is up to you.

At first, I wasn’t enthralled by the forest when I started my journey. The trail didn’t change elevation much and was mostly a straight line from start to finish. That changed when I ventured onto other paths.

I wish I could tell you for certain what trails I took, but again, I’m not the best when a sense of direction is needed. If you’re an in-shape person looking for a good trek uphill, there are definitely some paths within these trails that will give you that workout.

Although some of the trails I took definitely tested how in-shape I am, I would recommend these trails for anyone wanting a nature outing. There wasn’t much besides some beautiful fall foliage and a couple of squirrels, but it was a beautiful hour and a half of my day.

I do suggest that you don’t follow in my footsteps and please bring a buddy.

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