I can’t believe it has taken us this long to go to The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. What a beautiful place to go for a walk with your dog and get a breath of fresh air without really leaving Boston. The Arboretum is a 265 acre collection of over 15,000 plants and trees from “mainly North America and Eastern Asia” managed by Harvard University. Paved walkways and gravel trails wind through these woods and hills. The Arboretum is the polar opposite of the Sheepfold at the Fells.

What to Expect

This is a beautiful park to take your dog for a quiet walk or playtime. You and your dog can easily slip into the trees and find a place in the lush grass away from others. Both Margie and I agreed we would return to keep exploring the different areas and trails. She really enjoyed finding the little brass tags hanging from the branches describing when and from what part of the world the different trees came from. I enjoyed trying to imagine what this place will look like during fall foliage.

There is a network of trails both paved and gravel where you will find benches to take a break on during your meanderings through an impressive collection of trees and plants. You can expect to see those with a keen interest reading the brass labels on the various trees, quietly inspecting, admiring and photographing away. You will also see other dogs walking, jogging and playing with their families. This is a very peaceful place to spend an afternoon with your favorite canine companion.

Getting There & What To Bring

The Arnold Arboretum is located in Jamaica Plain it took us about 15-20 minutes from the Navy Yard. Outside the main gate we found parking with relative ease, no quarters required. You need to bring poop bags but you will find trash receptacles through out the park. You really need to clean up after your dog here it is far to nice to even consider leaving your dogs poop behind. Bring water, I did not see water specifically for dogs. A leash is a must, this is not an official off-leash dog park, although extremely well behaved dogs might have a place on the hill where dog’s are off-leash.

Here are some links you might find interesting:

• The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
• Wikipedia Description
• A Flickr Photo Gallery
• Google Map Link
• Reviews on Yelp!