Explore A Little-Known Arboretum & Botanical Garden In This Small Indiana City
By Tori Jane|Published September 14, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Indiana is home to only one true “city”, and even by most city standards, it’s still fairly small. Other places we here in the Hoosier State tend to call “cities” might be called towns or even small towns by folks from much larger places, but it’s in those small cities that you can usually find all the best things to do. For example, did you know that one of the best arboretums in Indiana is hidden in the small city (by Hoosier standards, okay?) of Lafayette? It’s true, and as far as arboretums go, this one is a true hidden gem.
The Jerry E. Clegg Botanical Garden - also known as the Clegg Memorial Garden - is a garden/arboretum hybrid open year-round with plenty of serenity to offer its visitors.
The garden is nestled on a hillside overlooking Wildcat Creek, and there's a handy, moderately-challenging hiking trail that loops just over one mile that'll lead you right past the water's edge.
And like I said, every season brings with it a new sense of wonder.
Autumn, for instance, is when every leaf in the garden comes ablaze with vivid, brilliant color. It's one of the best places to see fall colors in Indiana!
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Summer is a time of wildflowers, as is spring (which also brings new life bursting forth through ice and snow).
In the winter, Clegg Memorial Garden turns into a gorgeous monochrome landscape covered in snow and ice, which can be absolutely gorgeous under the right circumstances.
You'll also discover some awesome birds-eye views of the rest of the park, as well as the surrounding woods.
The landscape shifts and changes as you wander; you'll find yourself hidden in some oak woodlands, marveling at gravel hill prairie, watching various birds in the riparian corridors... you get the idea. This place is paradise.
It all started in the late 1930s, when the Clegg Family purchased this land hoping to turn it into a retreat.
It's 16.5 amazing acres of natural beauty, and I strongly recommend excellent walking shoes - you'll need them!
To learn more about the Jerry E. Clegg Botanical Garden (AKA the Clegg Memorial Garden), visit the official website. For more information about that awesome hike at the garden, check out its listing with our friends at AllTrails.
What are your favorite gardens and arboretums in Indiana? Tell me about them in the comments!
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