Visiting The North Carolina Arboretum

This Arboretum in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a feast for the senses in any season.

If you’re spending time in Asheville or traveling The Blue Ridge Parkway, treat yourself and spend an hour or two in this incredible mountain garden.

The North Carolina Arboretum is located on The Blue Ridge Parkway near the Asheville entrance at mile marker 393. The site offers acres of cultivated gardens and groomed trails featuring some of the most beautiful, native plants in the region. Admission is free but there is a $14 per car parking fee.

The Arboretum is situated in one of the most environmentally diverse and beautiful locations in America. The North Carolina Arboretum composes 65 acres of cultivated gardens with a number of themed areas and major exhibits. Visiting the Arboretum’s gardens is a perfect way to reacquaint yourself with nature in the incredible North Carolina mountains.

Bonsai Exhibition Garden – These small trees have provided a blending of the world of horticulture and art in a Japanese tradition that goes back centuries . Established in 2005, the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is celebrated as a world renowned garden hosting up to fifty bonsai specimens at any one time.

Wildflowers – The Arboretum is home to a wide variety of native wildflowers scattered across its 434-acres. From Spring to Fall, stroll along ten miles of trails and gardens filled with wildflowers like bloodroots, azaleas, fire pinks, yarrows and dozens more.

If Winter in the mountains attracts your interest The Arboretum has something special for you. Winter Lights Features the Arboretum in Seasonally Festive Lights! Winter Lights features beautifully displays and illuminated landscapes sited along the Arboretum’s woodlands and garden areas. A walk-through experience, with plenty of sights and displays designed to celebrate the holiday season with the entire family. For dates and tickets click and current information click HERE.