The 10 Best Nature & Parks in Asheville, North Carolina (NC)

: This biking trail has an extreme climb for about 3 miles, before it connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Adventure Center of Asheville, 5 minutes from downtown, has many adventures for your family and friends all year long. Choose from our Asheville Zipline Canopy Tour (ages 8+ with 2 trip options, private tours available and up to 1,200 foot lines with views of Asheville), Asheville Treetops Adventure Park (ages 4+ with 7 aerial trails & 77 elements), Kid Zip (ages 4-10 with 9 ziplines in a park built for our youngest flyers) & Kolo Bike Park (trails, pump tracks, jump lines, skills area). You can also rent a mountain bike to take off property! Or join us for Spring Break and Summer Camps, Birthday Partys, Team Building, Group Outings, Bike Club, Halloween Trail & Tent Rental for outdoor social gatherings. Reservations are always suggested as we have set start times. Check out our website for our latest information, specials & events. Face masks are currently REQUIRED on site. Trip times are limited and guest count is limited.

COVID-19 UPDATE: Currently our hours are as shown: #7 is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11-4pm, and by appointment #5 is by appointment only #3 is closed, but a few appointments are available with Pattiy, so contact if needed. Thank you for your continued support! Located in the heart of Asheville's River Arts District, you will find 11 artists working in their studios making ceramic sculpture, functional pottery, jewelry, clothing and fine art photography as well as teaching the art of chair caning. CURVE studios' mission, since 1989, has been to bring people to art and art to life in Asheville's River Arts District.

Nestled in the Southern Appalachian Mountains just south of Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum offers acres of cultivated gardens and groomed trails featuring some of the most beautiful, botanically-diverse plants in the region.

Visit the Western North Carolina Nature Center - home to over 60 species of animals including river otters, black bear, red wolves and cougars. The Western North Carolina Nature Center connects people with the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region by inspiring appreciation, nurturing understanding, and advancing conservation of the region's rich biodiversity. The Nature Center is proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting an institution dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. Less than 230 facilities in the United States have met the high accreditation standards set by AZA

Located on the edge of the University of North Carolina – Asheville the Botanical Gardens at Asheville were a real treat to visit. First, the Garden is located about 10 minutes from downtown Asheville which made it an easy site to visit. Second, the trail is well tended, beautiful and relaxing. If you ran it the trail is maybe 15 minutes long. If you stroll then it’s as long as you’d like. Lastly, and most important, you get to see some truly spectacular native plants in their natural habitat including a very rare Pink Lady’s-slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule). As a matter of fact I saw FOUR with two still in bloom as well as several yellow and white lady’s slipper orchids that had finished blooming. To see them in their native habitat is rare enough. That some knucklehead had not come by and picked them is even more amazing. Some added treats include a large stone near the main stream that clearly shows the markings of its molten past and appears to be shaped like a dragon.