Maplewood Nature Center

Hidden jem in the middle of oakdale. Highly recommend for a nice walk and bird watching. Bring your kids bring your spouse, bring whoever wants to learn about nature.I particularly liked the info on the plant life.Plenty of fun birds to watch and just an overall peace visit.Only downside is there are no bike racks. Oh well.

My husband and I were looking for something to do close to home but also in nature and found this place! The nature center building is closed on the weekend but the trails are open dawn to dusk. The trails were nice and secluded with so many native species of trees and flowers and animals. The trials aren't very well labeled as far as direction so taking a picture of the map was handy! The overall terrain was very easy and took us 30 minutes to walk the majority of the trail with frequent stops to read signs and watch birds. I would highly recommend and will be back again!

Great place to visit! Friendly, knowledgeable staff at the Nature Center as well as instructional exhibits. We came as a group for the snowshoeing-only $5 for nice snowshoe rentals. We had a great snowshoe hike through the woods and across the pond. It's amazing to find a little nature in an older suburban area like this!

Just an amazing place. The staff are engaging, knowegable, and passionate. I brought my cub scout Den for snowshoing and it was a huge blast for kids and parents alike! Well worth your time to check out!

What a great place to bring your kids! First and foremost, it's FREE! The Visitor Center building itself is cute and is filled with nature books, interactive displays, and the ever important restrooms and drinking fountain.Walking the trail is really relaxing (no pets allowed). We saw ducks, geese, blue jays, and woodpeckers. During the warmer months, there is a lot more to see, including the butterfly garden, other interesting bugs, lots of native plants, and more wildlife. Who would've thought such a neat little oasis lurked just off Century Avenue in an otherwise bland neighborhood?They offer snowshoeing in the winter ($3 to rent snowshoes which fit ages 4 to adult). They also have a birthday party program for kids that could be perfect for any nature loving child (pricing listed on their website).

This little gem is tucked back off a busy street on a dead-end. You'd never think an expansive and secluded nature center existed here! It's bordered on one side by a cemetery and a quiet older neighborhood on the other. As you walk around, it is actually really quiet and serene. You wouldn't think so, but it manages to actually seem pretty remote and wild while you are in there.The main outdoor attraction is the walking trail around a large pond/tiny lake. There are several scenic bench stops to rest at, and a boardwalk out across the water. There is lots of vegetation and you'll be able to see a lot of bird species. If you go to the back pond area, you'll come across turtles on logs and lily pads too.The interpretive center is small but has neat programs for kids, but not much to offer adults. The hours for it are fairly limited too. School days in the spring and fall also occasionally have school groups doing field trips. Just a heads-up there.Also note, dogs/pets/bicycles are not allowed inside on the trails or interpretive center. There is a bike rack if you want to cycle up to the place before you get out for your nature hike.

Not large. but a quiet, pleasant reserve in a dense suburban community. One highlight is the long floating walkway across one side of the pond. A second is the butterfly garden next to the nature center building. Note that no pets are allowed, which is a slight drawback for us, but it does mean that wildlife are going to feel more welcome, which is the point. One sign even points out that running on the trails is not acceptable. A bit hard to find, but worth the effort. Come for a quiet, relaxing time with nature.

Such a peaceful place. The trail is about 7/8 of a mile, and it's totally doable on a lunch break. Lots of shade and places to stop and sit as well. Lovely place.

Cool place, not very big but nice dock/ bridge across the lake. Lots of lilies and lotus's

This nature center is like being out in the country away from it all. In the summer there are turtles sunning on logs, geese nesting and gosslings being taught where to go .there are egrets at times grebes which are so fun to listen to , and small violets along the trails in spring.It is a veritable cornucopia of pond wildlife. there are water lillies, and snails to see in the pond and dragonflies all over. It is so fun, and a good stress reliever. Go see it.