Adam Keller/Features Editor

For all those freshmen on campus without a car, you’ll be happy to know that Wesleyan is by no means a suitcase school. Most students don’t make weekly visits to Hartford, let alone New York. Heck, it can be hard to muster the energy to walk even a few blocks off campus; in the hot summer, snowy winter, and rainy spring, even a hike to Rite Aid or to one of the restaurants on Main Street can seem like a daunting odyssey.

Nonetheless, a number of spots around Middletown are well worth checking out during upcoming fall months. This Argus editor has thoughtfully compiled just a few examples of our local scenery, all within walking distance if you’re ambitious. (I made the journey to most of these places on foot, so you can too.) Although this is by no means a comprehensive list, I hope it inspires you to embark on your own local adventures.

Adam Keller/Features Editor

1. Indian Hill

Just a short walk to the corner of Vine and Washington, Indian Hill is a mainstay for Wesleyan students looking for a beautiful vista. Indian Hill Cemetery is an artfully landscaped area ripe for hiking and exploring. Sunsets seen from the hilltop are particularly incredible. According to its website, Indian Hill is “perhaps the most scenic and tranquil area in Middletown,” which, as you’re about to discover, may be a bit of a stretch.

2. Pameacha Pond

Adam Keller/Features Editor

A short wander down High past the Butts, Pameacha Pond is a large lagoon currently too contaminated for any water sports or beach volleyball, but it still catches the eye with plenty of nice local flora and fauna. According to an old Hartford Courant column, the pond used to be open to the public with a bathhouse and icehouse before World War II. I wouldn’t put this one at the top of my list for local sightseeing, but it might be a nice rest stop on the way to…

3. The Middletown Nature Gardens

A beautiful grove that I have somehow managed to avoid until now, the Middletown Nature Gardens consist of 18 acres of incredible wildlife, with plenty of benches, open fields, and bike pathways. There are tons of beautiful flowers everywhere, and I managed to spot a family of deer inside the gardens, although I wasn’t able to capture them on film. According to Wikipedia, a 2-century-old sugar maple tree called “The Bee Tree” is located in the middle of the park.

4. Veterans Memorial Park

This amazing crop of land features wooded hiking trails, open plains for picnics, and an outdoor swimming pool. It’s under-utilized by University students despite the fact that it’s just a walk or short drive up Washington Street. A small rock-climbing and play structure toward the front entrance purports to only be for ages 9-12. Child prodigies of the class of 2017, go crazy!

5. Wadsworth Falls

Adam Keller/Features Editor

Here’s the big one: Wadsworth Falls is a massive state park located in both Middletown and our neighboring Middlefield. You’ll barely be able to identify what state you’re in once you enter the teeming, lush woods, full of hiking and biking trails, picnic fields, and fishing and swimming areas. The latter include both Wadsworth Pond and the famed Coginchaug River, which has a gorgeous waterfall that all Wesleyan students must check out before they graduate. (I hear they’re making it a distribution requirement.) Also, events like the annual Wedding Show take place at the Wadsworth Mansion, a beautiful estate located right by Long Lane Farm. If you venture at all off campus during the turning of the leaves, Wadsworth should be your number one destination.

The online version of this article was updated on September 4 to correct inaccurate descriptions of Wadsworth Falls. The original article reported that the waterfalls are at Wadsworth Pond, not on the Coginchaug River. Additionally, it referred to the annual Wedding Show as the “Wadsworth Wedding.”