08/17/2026
๐ณ GO THERE NORTHWEST: MOSCOW ARBORETUM โ 63 ACRES OF GARDENS, PONDS, WILDLIFE & MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF HISTORY
We spent some time walking through the University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Moscow, and this is one of those places thatโs much bigger โ and much more interesting โ than you expect when you first pull in.
You can wander through huge trees, flower gardens and plant collections from around the world, walk alongside ponds filled with geese and turtles, and explore more than a century of University of Idaho history.
Best part?
Itโs completely free.
๐ฒ MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY PARK
The University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden covers about 63 acres on the south side of the University of Idaho campus.
Today it contains more than 17,000 plants representing over 2,400 species and cultivars.
Much of the arboretum is divided geographically, with collections representing:
๐ Asia
๐ Europe
๐ฒ Eastern North America
๐ฒ Western North America
So while youโre walking through Moscow, Idaho, youโre actually passing plants native to completely different parts of the world.
There are some pretty unusual trees here too, including Dawn Redwood, Ginkgo, Giant Sequoia, Camperdown Weeping Elm and several varieties of European Beech.
๐ณ THE HISTORY STARTED ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1910
The Arboretum story actually began before the modern garden existed.
In 1910, University of Idaho forestry pioneer Charles Houston Shattuck began turning a weedy hillside near the Administration Building into an outdoor classroom.
Hundreds of trees and shrubs were planted across roughly 14 acres.
That original area eventually became the Charles Houston Shattuck Arboretum, named for him in 1933, and is considered one of the oldest university arboretums in the western United States.
One of the coolest pieces of that history is still alive today:
๐ฒ A Giant Sequoia planted in 1916 is still growing on the University of Idaho campus.
The older Shattuck Arboretum is still there today and feels very different from the newer botanical garden โ much more like walking through an established forest.
๐ฟ THE NEW ARBORETUM BEGAN IN THE 1980s
By the 1970s, University of Idaho professors wanted to create a much larger and more diverse plant collection.
The valley south of the Presidentโs Residence was selected.
At the time, much of the land that is now covered in trees, gardens and ponds was largely undeveloped, and part of the northern section had even been used as a golf-course driving range.
A master plan was approved in 1980.
Then, on Easter Sunday in 1982, members of the Moscow Rotary Club planted the first trees.
Itโs pretty incredible to stand there today and realize how much of what youโre looking at has grown in just the last four decades.
๐ธ THE GARDENS
Thereโs a lot more here than just trees.
The Arboretum includes several specialty gardens and collections:
๐ป Xeriscape Garden
๐ฟ Ornamental Willow Collection
๐ผ Daylily Garden
๐ Iris Garden
๐ธ Heather Garden
๐ฆ Butterfly Garden
๐ฑ Hosta Garden
The experience also changes with the season.
Spring brings flowering cherries, lilacs, crabapples and tree peonies.
Summer fills the gardens with flowers and greenery.
And fall should be incredible here as the maples, oaks, ashes, larches and other trees turn red, orange and gold.
๐ชฟ DONโT SKIP THE PONDS
This ended up being one of our favorite parts.
There were Canada geese all around the ponds, and if you look closely in the water, you may spot turtles too.
We found one swimming just below the surface while we were walking around.
Between the wildlife, weeping willows, flowers and reflections across the water, this part of the Arboretum feels completely removed from being right next to a university campus.
๐ถ THE WALK
The main gravel loop through the Arboretum is around 1.4 miles.
Itโs an easy place to spend an hour, but if you start taking the smaller paths, checking out the gardens and stopping around the ponds, you can easily stay much longer.
There are gradual hills throughout the property and several smaller trails that climb away from the main road.
Some areas offer views across the Arboretum and surrounding Palouse, and on clear days you can look toward the Blue Mountains in Oregon.
There are also 165 memorial trees, groves and benches scattered throughout the grounds.
๐ KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
๐ University of Idaho Arboretum & Botanical Garden
1200 W. Palouse River Drive
Moscow, Idaho
๐๏ธ Admission: FREE
โฐ Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk
๐ Parking: Free parking is available at the south end of the Arboretum.
๐ฅพ Walking: The main loop is approximately 1.4 miles and is primarily gravel. There are some hills and steeper side paths.
๐ Dogs/Pets: Pets are not allowed.
๐ฒ Bikes: Bicycles and jogging are allowed on established roads and trails.
๐ซ No swimming, fishing or wading in the ponds.
๐ซ No hammocks or slacklines.
๐ง The irrigation system uses reclaimed water, so donโt drink from or play in the sprinklers.
โฟ Accessibility: Some of the gravel surfaces and steeper portions may be difficult for visitors with limited mobility.
๐ธ OUR TIP: Give yourself more time than you think youโll need. We went in expecting a nice walk and ended up stopping constantly to look at the ponds, wildlife, trees and different garden areas.
And if youโre already visiting the University of Idaho campus, make time to find the original Shattuck Arboretum too. Seeing the old and new arboretums gives you a completely different look at more than 100 years of U of I history.
๐ฒ WHY WEโD GO BACK
This isnโt a flashy attraction.
There arenโt rides, admission gates or huge crowds.
Itโs just a genuinely beautiful place to slow down, walk for a while and explore.
If youโre visiting Moscow, Idaho, spending the day on the Palouse, dropping a student off at the University of Idaho, or looking for a free Northwest stop that the whole family can enjoy, this one belongs on the list.
And judging by how much there is planted here, weโd love to come back again in the fall and see the entire valley change color.
๐ธ All photos are from our visit.
