The feature-filled, 1343-hectare CA Pippy Park coats downtown's northwestern edge. Recreational facilities include walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, a golf course and a campground. Memorial University , the province's only university, is here too. The university's botanical garden is at Oxen Pond, at the park's western edge off Mt Scio Rd.
Cultivated areas and a nature reserve fill the botanical landscape. Together, these and the park's Long Pond marsh give visitors an excellent introduction to Newfoundland's flora, habitats (including boreal forest and bogs) and animals (look for birds at Long Pond and the occasional moose). Take the 3km Long Pond Walk for the full effect.
The Fluvarium , a glass-sided cross-section of a 'living' river, is located across the street from the campground. Viewers can peer through large windows to observe the undisturbed goings-on beneath the surface of Nagle's Hill Brook. Numerous brown trout and the occasional eel can be seen. If there has been substantial rain or high winds, all visible life is completely lost in the murkiness.
To get here from downtown, take Bonaventure Ave north to Allandale Rd and follow the signs; it's about 2km.