You’ll find an endless list of things to do while staying in our Asheville vacation rentals and our rentals in Brevard NC. From amazing hiking trails and foraging tours to delicious restaurants and breweries, you’ll always have something new to try. The Asheville Arboretum should be at the top of your list!
Just south of Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum offers acres of beautifully polished gardens and miles of hiking and biking trails featuring some of the most beautiful plants known to the Appalachian mountains.
You can spend a relaxing day walking through the Asheville Arboretum gardens and hiking trails, either alone or with a guided tour. There are also art, educational, and conservation exhibits and classes for you to enjoy, even on rainy days. The Arboretum in Asheville, NC, even has a lovely restaurant on the grounds, Bent Creek Bistro, and beautiful spots for picnicking!
About The Arboretum
The Asheville Arboretum is an affiliate of the University of North Carolina, and its mission is to cultivate connections between plants and people. It fulfills this mission through educational offerings, conservation activities, and providing space for people to walk through and enjoy nature.
Established in 1986, the Asheville Arboretum is located south of Asheville next to the Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 393. It is a 464-acre public garden within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest and the Pisgah National Forest. It is an exceptionally beautiful setting in a naturally botanically diverse area, so visitors can enjoy observing a wide variety of plants in their natural habitat.
You can come to the property any day of the year except Christmas Day. The hours that the Asheville Arboretum is open vary with the season, and some of the buildings have different hours than the property.
Join the Arboretum’s membership plan for discounts on parking and other perks. The Asheville Arboretum also hosts special events that may require purchased tickets. You can find more information about these events and memberships on their website.
Exhibits
Start your visit to the Asheville Arboretum at the information desk in the Baker Exhibit Center. You’ll find friendly and knowledgeable staff there to answer any of your questions and tell you about the beauty and history of the garden. There are many special exhibits, most are open year-round, and some have limited hours. Some are permanent exhibitions, and some are only available for a short time.
You can tour the greenhouse, see how young plants are cared for, and even purchase a leafy friend to bring home!
The Bonsai Exhibition Garden has up to 50 bonsai trees. There are traditional bonsai trees, such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, but also tropical and American species bonsais.
You can get a wildflower guide to walk around the gardens and identify the many wildflowers growing along the 10 miles of trails at the Arboretum. The guide has pictures of all the flowers and is color coded for what season you can observe them.
Plan Your Visit
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The Quilt Garden has different plants and flowers placed in a pattern reminiscent of a quilt. The quilt design changes every two years, and plants are changed every season, so there is always something new to see in this charming place!
In the Heritage Garden, you can learn about southern Appalachian culture, horticulture, and crafts. You’ll see plants used in broom making, basket making, paper making, and dyes. You can also learn about plants that are used for home remedies.
Other outdoor exhibits include the Forest Meadow, the National Native Azalea Collection, the Holly Garden, and Willow Pond. From April to October, you will find a garden-scale model railroad in the garden. There is also an ever-changing art and photography exhibit in the Baker Center with art inspired by plants and nature.
The Arboretum creates space for other special events. The Winter Lights exhibit is a wheelchair-accessible walk-through event where over 1 million lights are placed throughout the garden. Guests can purchase s’mores kits and roast marshmallows at a fire pit, make a wish at the wishing tree, listen to live performances, and see a storytelling exhibit about the adventures of a young bear.
Throughout the summer, there are live music events at the Arboretum. Other educational classes, seminars, camps, and other events happen at the Arboretum at various times during the year. Some of their classes are asynchronous, and you can learn about the plants from home remotely before you even get to the Asheville area. There are even spaces for birthday parties at the Arboretum.
Hiking Trails
There are over 10 miles of hiking trails at the Asheville Arboretum, some wheelchair accessible. Leashed dogs are welcome, and some trails are also open to cyclists. The trails are marked as easy, moderate, and difficult, so you can have the opportunity to hike through the Arboretum no matter what your experience and abilities are. No matter how you get around, you can enjoy walking through the Arboretum and seeing the plants and outdoor exhibits.
Dining
The Bent Creek Bistro is open seasonally during the Spring, Summer, and Fall, with indoor and patio seating. All food is made to order using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes seasonally but offers homemade soups, fresh hand-cut salads, and hearty sandwiches, and the staff is happy to help you find fits for any dietary requirements you might have. They also have a great selection of local beers and wines, locally roasted coffees, and hot teas.
You can also bring a picnic lunch and eat along the trails. Be sure to clean up after your meals.
Guided Walks
The Arboretum offers free guided walks on Tuesdays and Saturdays from April through October. These walks are led by a volunteer guide and are always different, based on the weather and other conditions on the day of the walk and the expertise of the trail guide.
Sign-up sheets for these tours can be found in the Baker Visitors center and are done on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of 15 people per tour.
Book Your Asheville Rentals With Pete Key Properties
Aside from the arboretum, there are tons of other fun things to do in Asheville NC. At Pete Key Properties, you’ll find lots of space and great amenities in all of our vacation rentals, such as full kitchens, washers and dryers, and outdoor spaces with gas grills. We have pet-friendly Asheville vacation rentals and luxury Asheville vacation rentals with a hot tub.
At Pete Key Property Management, we’ll help you have a fantastic vacation. From offering the best vacation rentals near Asheville, NC, to ensuring you are well taken care of during your visit. Book today to experience all the Asheville area has to offer, you’ll be so glad you did!
