University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, Madison

Incredible arboretum. Walking through the prairies was absolutely magical. So many beautiful flowers, grasses, and insects. The colors were incredible, the paths were nice to follow, and there were good signs around. The pond had such an amazing variety of colorful dragonflies. I would come here again in a heartbeat and explore more of it. So nice on a summer day. Walking through the pines was nice and cool even though it was a pretty hot day.

I stumbled across the history of the arboretum while in town on vacation. I figured it was worth a hike, and I was not disappointed. We did the trails north and northeast of the visitor center with the Native American effigy mounds and ponds/wetlands. We spotted a small group of turkeys, a fawn, and even spotted a coyote. The trails were clean. The upland forest near the mounds is dominated by old oaks and hickories, with an understory of maples. It created really gorgeous fall colors. The prairie was beautiful as well with its fall oranges, yellows, and reds. Can’t wait to come back!