Tag Archives: Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum (Spring)

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Directions: The Hoyt Arboretum is located in Washington Park near the zoo. The main parking lot and visitor center is on Fairview Blvd.

We did this hike for the purpose of seeing blooming trees (plum, cherry, magnolia, etc.) so we stayed on the east side of the visitor center where there are mostly deciduous trees. You can pick up a map of all the trails at the visitor center.

We started on the Oak Trail and connected to the Wildwood Trail. In here most of the trees just had buds so we continued on the Wildwood Trail and crossed Cascade Dr. to get to the Winter Garden.

      

There were some tulips, daffodils, blooming ground cover and shrubs in this area. We also saw a good amount of trillium which was great.

      

      

Next, we crossed Cascade Drive again and got on the Magnolia Trail. There were a few cherry and plum trees just starting to bloom in this area.

      

We continued on and hooked up with the Hawthorn Trail. Everything was bare here so we decided to head back up to the visitor center. We were here the last week of March and that was probably a week or two early.

      

Distance: 2.5 miles- you can do more or less. (easy)

Elevation: 250 feet (easy)

Pet Friendly: Yes

Good For: All ages

Bathrooms: Yes

Parking Fee: Yes

Seasons: All

Popular: Yes

Warnings: None

Fall Hikes

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Happy Fall!

Fall is our favorite season to hike. The weather is great (rain included), the colors are beautiful, and there are no mosquitoes!

We made a list of some of our favorite fall hikes. If you click on the links they will take you to the post and give you more detail and directions.

Hoyt Arboretum: This hike is all about the fall colors! With all the different trees you definitely get quite the show. 

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Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden: This is a great option for families. Lots of ducks that will entertain kids and nice well maintained trails. It’s also free during the off season which is Labor Day through February!

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Milo McIver State Park: All the different trail options on this hike are nice because you can get back to your car relatively quickly if it starts raining too hard.

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Angels Rest: We love hiking up to Angels Rest in the Fall. It’s a fairly steep hike so the cooler weather makes in a little easier. It’s also much less crowded!

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Rooster Rock Loop: Another great option for fall colors. Plus with gloomier weather we were able to see a Pygmy Owl!

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Beacon Rock: We have been to Beacon Rock many times but last year we decided to try it out on a foggy day. It was actually pretty fun! The fog gave the trail a slightly spooky vibe and there were barely any people.

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Silver Falls State Park: Fall colors are the only thing that can make a trail with 10 waterfalls even better!

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Pup Creek Falls: This hike should be done in mild weather.

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Kiyokawa Family Orchards: Fall apple picking!

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 Have fun hiking in the wonderful fall weather!

Hoyt Arboretum (Autumn)

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This hike has so many trail options and even connects to Forest Park, so the distance really depends on what you’re feeling up to. We came here with the intent of seeing fall colors so we stuck to the deciduous side of the park. We hiked about 3 miles which made for a nice short afternoon.

You can get maps at the visitor center or download one from the website here.

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We parked by the visitor center and started on the Overlook Trail.

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From here we wandered around on the Maple, Walnut, Ash, Wildwood, Hawthorn and Magnolia trails. The colors were amazing and it was great seeing all the different trees.

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All of the trails are very well maintained and intersections are clearly marked. Each tree has a little tag with it’s name and there are plenty of informational signs along the way.

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Distance: 3 miles (but you can do more)

Elevation: 400 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Pet Friendly: Yes

Good For: All ages

Bathrooms: Yes

Parking Fee: $1.60 an hour or $4 for the day

Seasons: All

Popular: Yes

Overall: Such a great place to see all the colors fall has to offer.