Some places become part of your story long before you realize they have. Secrest Arboretum is that place for me. I discovered it not long after moving to Ohio, and at first it was simply somewhere beautiful to spend an afternoon. I had no idea that it would soon become something much more important. For seven months, while I was living in a homeless shelter, I returned here again and again. It became my refuge. Whenever I needed to breathe, think, or simply remember that the world still held beauty, I found myself walking its paths or resting in quiet, secluded spots I found off the paths.
An arboretum is different from a forest. There is intention behind every tree and every garden, yet Secrest never feels overly manicured. Instead, it invites you to wander slowly, discovering one quiet corner after another. Some of my favorite moments were found away from the busiest areas, where the crowds gradually disappeared and the paths became quieter. Near the back of the property, a small woodland offered a little more solitude, although the nearby highway was never completely forgotten. The sound of traffic drifted through the trees, gently reminding me that the busy world continued just beyond the edge of this peaceful place. Even so, I always found enough quiet here. Every season seemed to reveal a different side of the arboretum. In spring, the crab apple orchard burst into bloom, becoming one of the most beautiful displays of blossoms I’ve ever seen. Summer filled the gardens with every shade of green imaginable. Autumn transformed the trees into glowing shades of gold, orange, and crimson. And during winter, I remember watching snow settle softly onto the pine branches until the entire landscape felt wrapped in silence. Each visit offered something different, yet every visit offered the same gift. A place to rest.
Quietness: 5/10 (Traffic from the nearby highway is often noticeable, especially near the woodland.)
Crowds: Medium (The gardens are popular, though quieter areas can usually be found.)
Accessibility: Easy (Paved and well-maintained walking paths unless you explore the woods or other more natural parts of the Arboretum.)
Photography: Outstanding in every season.
Solitude Potential: Medium
Suggested Visit: 1–3 hours, or however long your heart needs.
For directionsTrail maps, directions, and additional information can be found on the OSU website: https://secrest.osu.edu/visit
A Personal Reflection
Unlike many of the places I write about, I don’t have an unusual story to tell about Secrest Arboretum. I hadn’t yet begun exploring the intuitive side of my relationship with nature when this place became important to me. Instead, what I remember is something quieter. I remember showing up. Again and again. Some days I wandered with my camera, looking for flowers opening in the morning light. Other days I simply needed somewhere peaceful to sit while life felt uncertain. When you’re living through a difficult season, the world can begin to feel very small. Your thoughts circle the same worries. Your future seems impossible to picture. This arboretum gently interrupted that cycle. The trees kept growing. The flowers continued blooming. The seasons changed exactly as they always had. Somehow, watching that steady rhythm reminded me that difficult seasons are also seasons. They do not last forever. Looking back now, I realize Secrest didn’t solve any of my problems. It simply gave me a beautiful, safe place to keep going until life began to change. Sometimes, that’s enough.
What This Place Gave Me
Secrest Arboretum taught me that healing doesn’t always happen through dramatic moments. Sometimes it happens one quiet walk at a time. One blossom. One autumn leaf. One snowy pine. One gentle reminder that even after the longest winter, spring quietly returns.
