This text is replaced by the Flash movie.

Natural Heritage Trail

WNC Nature Center

Voted "best place to take kids" in Western North Carolina, the WNC Nature Center in Asheville is far more than a zoo and appeals to grownups as well as children. This living museum of plants and animals native to the Appalachian region is dedicated to increasing public awareness and understanding of all aspects of the natural environment of Western North Carolina.

The WNC Nature Center offers diverse wildlife, gardens, trails, indoor exhibits and farm animals. It provides a home for injured, orphaned or imprinted animals that could not survive on their own, and is one of the few zoos and captive facilities in the country participating in the Red Wolf Recovery Program. This captive breeding program was established in the early 1970s by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the red wolf from extinction. The WNC Nature Center joined the effort in 1992, and visitors to the Center can often view one of the young rare canines.

Among the educational programs offered by the WNC Nature Center are Frogs and Tadpoles, Nature at Night, The World Underground, Dairy Delight, Wildlife Tour, Snakes and Turtles, Amateur Naturalist, and Trees in Winter. Weeklong summer day camps at the WNC Nature Center provide kids with hands-on learning about their environment and heritage. Camp themes include Native American, Reptiles and Amphibians, Arts and Crafts, Pioneer Living, and Beetles and Butterflies.

WNC Nature Center House of Operation:
10 a.m. - 5 p.m., seven days a week, admission till 4:30. Some holiday closings.

WNC Nature Center Admission Fee:
Adults: $5, Senior: $4, Youth (3-14): $3.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

WNC Nature Center Location:
The WNC Nature Center is located at 75 Gashes Creek Road in Asheville. From I-40, take Exit 53 B. From I-240, take Exit 8. Watch for the WNC Nature Center signs.

WNC Nature Center
75 Gashes Creek Rd.
Asheville, NC 28805

Mailing Address:
PO Box 7148
Asheville, NC 28802
Phone: 828-298-5600
www.wildwnc.org