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Carleton College Cowling Arboretum, Northfield, MN

Photo: Calebrw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Carleton College Cowling Arboretum

An 800-acre college-owned arboretum near Northfield with prairie, river, and forest habitats and public trails.

Northfield, MN

About Carleton College Cowling Arboretum

Cowling Arboretum, known as the Arb, lies next to Carleton College and was founded in 1926 as a site for academic use. Its mix of prairie, river floodplain, and forest supports native plants and animals, and the college manages it as a conservation area. Its trail network runs about 15 miles and is open to visitors year round, with good opportunities for birdwatching, wildlife viewing, walking, running, skiing, and fishing on the Cannon River. Students and faculty use it as an outdoor laboratory.

  • #arboretum
  • #trails
  • #birdwatching
  • #prairie
  • #river

What's around here?

The closest stops to Carleton College Cowling Arboretum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Family Favorite

    Minnesota Zoo

    $25–$50

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    Transit: reachable by public transit

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lebanon Hills Regional Park

    No admission fee

    Paddle, swim, ride mountain bike trails or ski among a dozen lakes and ponds in Dakota County's largest park, a free stop south of the Twin Cities.

    22 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums

    Gopher State Railway Museum

    Check prices

    A New Prague, Minnesota museum that collects, restores, and runs railroad equipment and artifacts.

    23 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Eagan

    No admission fee

    A Twin Cities suburb near Mall of America, home to the Minnesota Vikings' headquarters.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Rice Lake State Park

    Under $25

    Watch swans, geese and diving ducks stop over on a shallow marsh-ringed lake, then camp or paddle at this quiet park east of Owatonna.

    26 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Wood Lake Nature Center

    Check prices

    A 150-acre Richfield nature preserve with lake, marsh, forest and prairie habitats, trails, and boardwalks for education and wildlife viewing.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    29 mi awayMore like this

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