Turtle pond is a must-see when visiting River Bend Nature Center. It's filled with turtles, frogs and other small critters that call the pond home. What's the green stuff floating on the water? It's not algae, it's duckweed; a native, beneficial plant that helps clean the water and provide food and shelter to the animals that live there. Tucked in the middle of the woods, Turtle Pond is just a short walk from the main interpretive center. It's close, convenient, accessible and always has a new surpise every time you visit.

Located just a short distance from the main interpretive center, prairie pond has been restored from farmland. Lower Prairie Pond has a floating dock with benches for places to rest in the sounds of wildlife. Upper Prairie Pond has a small dock with seating and great overlook of the wetland. In these ponds, you'll find many song birds, waterfowl, sandhill cranes and raptors flying overhead along with frogs, turtles and other aquatic invertebrates. Lower prairie pond is accessible via unpaved trails so it may be more difficult for those with mobility issues. Upper prairie pond can be accessed off the main road.

Tucked in the woods off Raccoon Trail, Kids in the Wild is a great nature play area for anyone who wants to be outside and explore what's around them! This is a place to be creative, use your imagination, build a shelter, build a dam over the stream, play camouflage (hide and seek), or be still and watch the wildlife around you. The options are endless!

A favorite location for many visitors, fossil beach is located along the Straight River and can be accessed from Trout Lily trail. Feel free to look among the rocks and discover an ancient world that used to live here. Please don't take and leave them for others to enjoy!