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Homecoming weekend is a very exciting time, but it can also be very overstimulating. It’s important to celebrate in the ways that feel supportive to you, especially because Homecoming is a celebration of Colorado State University and the CSU community, and you are a part of that. One thing I have found supportive is spending time reconnecting and coming home to nature, so here are some of my favorite nature spaces on CSU’s campus.

The Heritage Arboretum is a hidden sanctuary of campus I didn’t know about until this past summer. It is located on the west side of Canvas Stadium and has many trees with changing leaves. It is a wonderful, peaceful and quiet place to immerse yourself and get a little lost in nature. 

As a location close to Canvas Stadium where most of the craziness of Homecoming will take place, the Arboretum is a great opportunity for you to take a short break if you start to feel overstimulated. The quiet area allows your nervous system to re-regulate a bit more as well as just take a break away from the loudness. Plus, you get the chance to be right next to the gardens of flower beds and plants from six major regions of Colorado.

If you’re a major flower enthusiast, then another great spot to relax and escape to is the Annual Flower Trial Garden. This is a magical place and CSU’s very own secret garden. With the endless rows of flowers surrounding you, providing a sense of comfort, calm, awe and wonder, I can’t recommend this spot enough.

To get to the Trial Garden from the main part of campus, you can take an underground tunnel to bypass the College Avenue traffic. The Trial Garden has hundreds of types of flowers in every color imaginable with beautiful trees and perfect grass to lie in; it’s my favorite place to watch the leaves in the wind over my head.

The Trial Garden environment creates an opportunity for you to be away from the center of campus where most of the crowds are while taking the time to rest. It creates a calming, grounding opportunity for you to be with all the flowers and gives your mind a space to wander. It also provides the opportunity for you to do yoga, forest bathe or just read a good book, prioritizing your needs and self-care.

Plus, right across the street, if you want to continue exploring east of campus, you can walk through trellis archways, relax under a gazebo covered in vines or find hidden-away picnic tables. This is a great quiet place to go on a grounding walk, hear the sound of your footsteps and be fully surrounded by nature, especially during Homecoming weekend, when it can be harder to find quiet spaces.

A final location that has close proximity to this weekend’s excitement but also allows you some space is The Lagoon, which is located in front of the Lory Student Center with a breathtaking view of the Intramural Fields and foothills. You can breathe, walk or sit and enjoy the gentleness of water rippling calmly in the breeze. It is also a fantastic place to admire the reflection of the sun setting. You can enjoy the festivities happening at the LSC from a distance you feel comfortable with. 

By being near but not too far away from the festivities and excitement, The Lagoon allows you the opportunity to enjoy the energy of Homecoming while also being able take a moment for yourself on a bench, watching the water ripple and the plants dance in the wind.

Celebrating Homecoming looks different for all of us, and nature can be such a supportive celebratory place to ground, take a deep breath and celebrate coming home to nature and ourselves. Homecoming is a time to celebrate Colorado State University and CSU students, and a big part of that is making sure you are celebrating in the ways that feel supportive to you. Have a happy Homecoming, and take care, Ram friends!

Reach Taylor MacMahon at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @macmahon_taylor.