Cox Arboretum is a beautiful 189-acre park that includes hiking trails through forests, meadows, ponds, and the Zorniger Education Center. Families will delight in the native Butterfly House, open during summer. Unique specialty gardens feature a rock garden; lush, colorful perennial gardens, and an edible landscape garden. Located right off of I-75.
The park is openApr. 1 – Oct. 31, 8 AM – 10 PM Nov. 1 – Mar. 31, 8 AM – 8 PM. Free parking is available but reduced due to COVID-19. Dogs are welcome, but, for the safety and comfort of all patrons, they must be leashed and under control at all times.
*Per COVID-19 precautions for social distancing, visitor parking has been reduced at Cox Arboretum MetroPark. The Tree Tower and Zorniger Education Center are also closed.
Plan Your Visit
Cox Arboretum MetroPark is a very special place for visitors to approach, enter, and connect with nature. Discover and rest in the serenity in the majesty of trees and shrubs thoughtfully arranged to capture the imagination.
Conservation Corner
This area of the park serves as a living library for environmental education. Species that are able to live only marginally in other areas thrive in the habitats preserved in Conservation Corner, through the management of multiple habitats in a 7-acre area. These habitats include a tallgrass prairie, shrublands, wetlands, and a bird blind for viewing wildlife. Conservation Corner is meant to demonstrate land stewardship and restoration ecology. Conservation Corner is easily accessed when you follow the paved path north from the Zorniger Education Center to the nature trails or at the west side of the Woodland Wildflower Garden. Take the Red Trail to discover these habitats and look for signs of native wildlife.
Nature Trails
The grounds of the Arboretum are easy to walk. The natural area and Conservation Corner offer about 2.5 miles of trails through woodlands and meadows. Paved paths provide another mile to navigate through the cultivated gardens.
Specialty Gardens
Visit the specialty gardens at Cox Arboretum and learn to make sustainable plant choices. From the stonewall perennials to the rock and water gardens, there is inspiration for every gardener to discover. Understand which plants to select for your garden that will create maximum impact, keep the environment healthy, and require minimal upkeep.
Ruth Cummings Mead Woodland
Many visitors to the Arboretum are surprised to discover this mature hardwood forest. There is an excellent range of native wildflowers and mature trees in this 100-acre tract of woodland at the rear of the Arboretum. Interesting trees include two groves of Asimina triloba, the Paw Paw. Take the paver path from the specialty gardens to the trail intersection behind the Butterfly House to reach the trailhead for the woodland’s nature trails.
Bell Children's Maze
Parents are invited to watch from the overlook or join in the fun as children discover a path through 1,175 boxwoods to the center of the maze.
*Currently due to COVID-19 the Butterfly House, Tree Tower, and Zorniger Education Center are closed.
