Bull's Run Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum

The Sanctuary contains the last free-flowing section of Bull’s Run creek, which marked an original boundary of Middletown plotted in 1802. The area was used as a grazing pasture for bulls in the mid-1800’s. Bull’s Run Corporate, a non-profit corporation, now manages this city park. Visitors are likely to see squirrels, a variety of birds, perhaps a box turtle and an occasional deer. Spring provides many woodland wildflowers. In Autumn the display garden of Ohio Native Plants reaches its blooming peak. Eight bird-feeding stations are maintained during winter for easy bird viewing.

The front of the Sanctuary is an arboretum with labeled species of trees. Inside the Sanctuary is a picnic shelter and mulched trails leading you past birding areas, along the Bull’s Run creek, and through a meadow area under restoration. The creek-side trail is approximately 1/3 mile.

Bull’s Run Corporate is dedicated to developing and maintaining the Sanctuary as an educational and visual establishment for the benefit of the community. We offer a variety of nature based education programs for all ages of students. The Naturalist is available as a speaker for a nominal charge. School field trips are offered free and supported by donations. For more information, contact naturalist@bullsrun.org.