As summer floats on, leaving a trail of long, dusky evenings and relaxed weekends in its wake, it is easy to overlook local destinations in the search for outdoor recreation. The city of Moscow is home to many great opportunities for summer relaxation and recreation.
Everyone knows that Moscow has parks,but what may not be public knowledge are the hidden treasures some of these parks possess.
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Thunder clouds float past the University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Gardens allowing some light for the various trees and flowers planted throughout.
Mountain View Park is located east of town on the similarly named Mountain View Road. While Mountain View Park is home to a traditional play structure with slides and swings, its water features truly set it apart.
A creek runs through the park and along the bike path. There, you can observe your traditional water dwelling animals such as ducks and frogs along with some less stereotypical creatures like leaches and water skeeters.
The bike path leads to Hordeman’s pond. This is Moscow’s premier water feature and in town fishing hole. The pond is home to a variety of large goldfish and is sometimes stocked with trout. Hordeman’s offers a great opportunity to introduce friends and family to fishing without the need to drive too far from home.
On the University of Idaho campus the arboreta offer another way to get out and learn about nature without traveling far from home.
The University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden lies west of the Administration building, next to the university golf course. This arboretum is well groomed and maintained. Along with the prerequisite trees this arboretum has several ponds. The ponds are home to panfish and bass, but fishing is prohibited. There are also turtles and snakes to be found around the ponds.
The Charles Houston Shattuck Arboretum is smaller and less tended. It does not have the ponds and mowed lawns of its newer neighbor, but it does house a pocket of the wild right on campus. It has walking trails that wind through thick undergrowth, and in the trees it is easy to forget just a few yards away lies the road.
Winding all the way from Mountain View Park, through campus and onward to Pullman is Paradise Creek. The creek’s size varies according to the season. In the early spring it is deep and wide enough that some hardy souls take to canoes, floating through town and beside the bike paths. During the summer it’s smaller but it’s inhabited with a wide variety of water dwelling animals. From insects to beavers, Paradise Creek has it all.
Out of town, off of Mountain View Road is Idler’s rest. This area contains many large cedars as well as a clear mountain spring. There are hiking trails and many downed trees to explore and test your balance on.
There is no need to travel far from home on the search for natural recreation areas. From overgrown cattails to the well groomed Arboreta, Moscow has it all.
Cy Whitling can be reached at [email protected]