North Carolina Arboretum

While helping design the grounds at Biltmore Estate, renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a public garden near Asheville, North Carolina. Today, the 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum, located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest, fulfills that dream. Surrounded by the dense folds of the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the North Carolina Arboretum is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America.
  
The North Carolina Arboretum is a center for education, research, conservation and garden demonstration. The North Carolina Arboretum offers a variety of educational programs each month, including seminars, exhibits, nature walks and activities for children and families. It is also a popular venue for area meetings.

Of special interest to many visitors is the Arboretum's new Bonsai Exhibition Garden, where more than 100 quality specimens are on display, and more than 100 others in various stages of development. The North Carolina Arboretum collection includes not only traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, but also plants native to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine.

Seven trails wind through the North Carolina Arboretum, some restricted to foot traffic while others can be used for both hiking and cycling. Most trails are easy to moderate.

North Carolina Arboretum Hours of Operation
Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center: Monday - Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Production Greenhouse Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.  
Property Hours: April to October: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; November to March: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Closed certain State holidays; see website for details

North Carolina Arboretum Admission Fees
$6 per personal motor vehicle
$25 for commercial vans
NC Arboretum Society members park free.  The annual cost of membership is $25 for students, $40 for individuals, and $55 for families.
Parking is free for all visitors on Tuesdays.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

North Carolina Arboretum Location
From the Blue Ridge Parkway, exit at milepost 393, following the signs for NC Arboretum, Hwy. 191 and Interstate 26. On the exit ramp, the entrance to the Arboretum is on the left (before Hwy. 191).
From I-40, take I-26 East.  Take Exit 33 (old Exit #2 -- marked Blue Ridge Parkway-Brevard Road-Hwy 191).  Turn left (South) onto Hwy. 191.  Travel South on Hwy 191 for approximately 2.1 miles (pass Biltmore Square Mall).  Look for brown signs for Blue Ridge Parkway and NC Arboretum.  Take right turn at light and entrance to The North Carolina Arboretum, main entrance is ahead on right.

The North Carolina Arboretum
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
Asheville, NC 28806-9315
(828) 665-2492 ext. 200
http://www.ncarboretum.org/