8. North Carolina Arboretum
North Carolina ArboretumNorth Carolina ArboretumNorth Carolina Arboretum
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
Asheville, NC 28805
The North Carolina Arboretum is a 434-acre public garden located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest in the Pisgah National Park. The arboretum is located about 10 miles from downtown Asheville. Visitors can stroll through 65 acres of gardens which include the National Native Azalea Collection, the Bonsai Exhibition Garden, a Heritage Garden that celebrates Southern Appalachian horticulture, a holly garden and a stream garden. Its tree collection includes a set of Metasequoias planted in 1950, and now said to be the tallest in the south (over 100 feet in height). The arboretum also includes many hiking and bicycling trails and 10 different gardens.
The arboretum offers free guided tours on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
There is no admission fee, but there is a parking fee ($16.00 per vehicle as of March, 2020).
Time to spend: Half day
Hours:
April - October
Monday - Sunday 8:00a - 9:00p (entrance gate closes at 8 p.m.)
November - March
Monday - Sunday 8:00a - 7:00p (entrance gate closes at 6 p.m.)
