Green Spaces

The Arboretum is the southernmost point on campus: a beautiful preserve with trails, creeks, bridges, and, of course, trees. As well as 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 fall everywhere in fall, and the snow builds up during winter.

The Oberlin Bike Path cuts though campus and winds through the communities of Kipton, Oberlin, Elyria, and Lorain for a total distance of 13.5 miles. The paved bike trail is part of the North Coast Inland Trail, a 65-mile trail that connects Elyria to Toledo. The Bike Path is great for novice riders, and with a Bike Co-op on campus, it’s easy to rent a bicycle and hit the trail.

Located southwest of campus, less than a block from the Frank Lloyd Wright house, the Bill Long Nature Preserve is a great place for a stroll. The preserve centers on an old reservoir, formerly the city’s water supply. It includes trails through wooded areas and benches overlooking the reservoir, a good spot for bird watching or fishing. To enter, walk down a path southwest of the intersection of Morgan Street and Pyle-South Amherst Street.

A mile away from Tappan Square, the George Jones Farm works in partnership with Oberlin College: the college sends compost to the farm, which sells produce back to the college. George Jones Farm also contributes produce to City Fresh, bringing access to local foods to urban areas.

Harkness Bowl, as well as the backyard of Talcott, is an unofficial dining area for Harkness Co-op and Kosher Halal Co-op. The Bowl borders an orchard, the Adam J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, and the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) kitchen garden, making it one of the greenest of the quads. Students often play music outside and otherwise entertain tour groups passing through.