Park on Morgan Street at Cedar Street and walk south on the gravel entry to the ponds. Head west (right) to the second, smaller pond. This is a very small pond with a path all the way around it. No scope is needed.

The Arboretum is the southernmost point on campus: a beautiful preserve with trails, creeks, bridges, and, of course, trees. Along with the wooded section, the Arb also has a reservoir, split into two lakes. The sides of the reservoirs make perfect sledding hills during colder months. Each season is lovely in the Arboretum: crocuses bloom in early spring, grass thickens in summer, leaves burst with color in the fall, and snow blankets the area in winter. Varied academic departments, biology, rhetoric, environmental studies, and photography, to name a few, use the Arboretum to collect data and have field lessons.

Oberlin College purchased the 17-acre Ladies’ Grove in 1892 to develop it as a nature preserve. At the time, the grove was considered one of the only places appropriate for women to walk and enjoy nature. Alumnus Charles Martin Hall bought 77 acres of the property surrounding the grove to establish a full-fledged arboretum. Since then, the Arb has become a favorite of runners and stargazers, hikers and birdwatchers, as well as anyone who wants to take a long walk in the woods.

The Oberlin College campus is 500 acres in the city of Oberlin.