Luxury Cabins in Asheville, NC, Are Convenient to Short Hikes at the NC Arboretum
Saturday, December 26th, 2009Mountain visitors who seek out luxury cabins in Asheville, NC, for their lodging will find themselves close to many great spots for hiking, with trails ranging from easy to difficultand one of the most popular locations that covers all trail types is The North Carolina Arboretum.
Located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way about 10 miles from downtown Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum has more than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails adjacent to the Bent Creek Experimental Forest.
It’s Azalea Repository Trail runs about a half-mile along a natural mountain wetland and through part of a Rhododendron thicket.
Pedestrians, pets on leashes and cyclists can share the 1.3-mile Bent Creek Road. This gravel road is 12 feet wide and follows Bent Creek and adjoins with several roads that lead into the Pisgah National Forest.
Near the main entrance to the Arboretum, the Old Arboretum Trail takes visitors around an easy figure-eight loop through an area that was once used by the United States Forest Service Experimental Station to plant and test various tree species for viability as timber to be grown in the southern Appalachians. Several of the plantings are still there, alive and well.
At only a length of just three tenths of a mile, the Old Mill Trail leads walkers on a short, easy stroll through the woods near the former site of an old gristmill.
Easy to moderate trails at the Arboretum include the Carolina Mountain Trail and the Natural Garden Trail. At 1.2 miles, the Carolina Mountain trail takes hikers through pine, mixed hardwood, and ericaceous forest types. It includes an overlook by Bent Creek and a section by the peaceful waters of Wolf Branch. At three-quarters of a mile, the Natural Garden Trail also goes through several forest types. It overlooks Bent Creek and features the National Native Azalea Collection.
If you’re venturing out of your luxury cabins in Asheville, NC, for hikes at a moderate level, you’ll enjoy the Arboretum’s Owl Ridge Trail and Running Cedar Road. The Owl Ridge Trail loop runs about 3.5 miles and is used by bikers, hikers and pets on leashes. Running Cedar Road is a half-mile long gravel surfaced access road between the Arboretum’s Core Area and Bent Creek Road.
Finally, if you’re seeking a moderate to difficult trail, the Wesley Branch Trail is open to foot traffic only and will take you almost a half mile from Bent Creek Road to the Natural Garden Trail and passes through a rhododendron thicket.
Visitors who will be staying in luxury cabins in Asheville, NC, will find the North Carolina Arboretum an ideal spot for taking in short hikes in the great outdoors of the southern Appalachians. For more information, call the Arboretum 828-665-2492.