Arboretum Tour

Central Oregon Community College welcomes you to the campus arboretum tour

During this walking tour, you will find botanical treasures gathered from near and far for your education, research and enjoyment. The COCC Arboretum includes a unique collection of flowering trees and shrubs as well as evergreen, coniferous trees native to the High Desert. Tree markers include information about the natural history of each species and tree identification techniques. Bring a friend and come often to enjoy the trees, exquisite mountain views, and native wildlife of the COCC Arboretum.

Due to the terrain of the campus, each walking tour has stairs and some elevation gain or loss. The Lower Campus tour provides a short and easy walk of about one mile. Allow approximately one hour of walking time for this section. The Upper Campus tour includes more elevation gain for a moderately difficult walk of about one mile. Allow about one and a half hours to complete this portion of the tour.

Click the maps below for more information or you can download the Arboretum Tour print brochure (PDF). 

Note: The Arboretum Tour project was completed in 2009. Some information has changed since that time.

What is an Arboretum?
"A designated collection of trees and other woody plants that are made available for education, scientific research, ornamental and even artistic endeavors."
How will you enjoy the arboretum today?

Best Viewing Time of Year
Evergreen trees and shrubs can be viewed at any time of year and offer a great opportunity for winter botanizing for avid tree enthusiasts. To see the flowering trees in their full glory, visit the Arboretum April through September.

Why Use Scientific Names?
Common names of plants, which originate from cultural sources, can be confusing because there is often more than one common name for a plant and the same name can be used for two different species of plants. To prevent confusion, biologists have established standard rules for naming species using a binomial (two-name), Latin name. This prevents any overlap of names and allows for international usage and recognition.

Parking Information
Free visitor parking is available in lots below the Boyle Education Center and at the Barber Library. In addition, permits are not needed to park along College Way.

All vehicles parking in COCC student and staff parking areas from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays must display a permanent or temporary COCC parking permit. Vehicles in violation of this rule will be ticketed. The permits are free. Visitor parking permits are available from the Information Office and Enrollment Services located in the Boyle Education Center. See Parking on Campus for more information.

Credits
The COCC Arboretum tour would not be possible without the generous support of the Keyes Trust. Special thanks to Jim Jones, Julie Mosier, Greg Hooper and the COCC GIS class for mapping support, Christine Ott-Hopkins for guidance and botanical support, Jon Wagner and Kim Auker. COCC Marketing and Public Relations designed the brochure and altered the map for publication. Photographs by Kris Elkin.

About COCC
Central Oregon Community College, founded in 1949 as Oregon's first community college, provides a wide range of services and learning opportunities for the citizens of the COCC District and for students from throughout the state and around the country. The College's 200-acre main campus is located on the western edge of Bend, a city known for its natural beauty and its proximity to diverse recreational opportunities.