Weekly Guided Trail Walks

From April – October, The North Carolina Arboretum offers free weekly guided trail walks on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Walks are limited to 15 people, including the Volunteer Interpretive Guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Topics and trails featured will vary based on weather, trail conditions and each guide’s area of expertise.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

View Upcoming Dates Here

Walks are FREE, however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply.

Group Visits

We are not offering guided group programs or private tours at this time, but groups are welcome to enjoy the Arboretum through self-guided exploration of the gardens, trails, and exhibits. We offer flat-rate daily parking fees for group visits.

These fees must be prepaid and include parking for all vehicles associated with the registered group. We ask that groups give at least two weeks notice of their visit in order to qualify for flat-rate fees. Please email groups@ncarboretum.org to book.

15-50 visitors: $65.00 per day
51-100 visitors: $95.00 per day
101+ visitors: $150.00 per day

Groups who are not pre-registered will be subject to standard daily parking fees:

  • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $16
  • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $50
  • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $100

Questions? Email groups@ncarboretum.org, and a member of our Guest Experience team will be happy to assist.

Running Groups

Running on the Arboretum’s trails is a great way to exercise in a beautiful setting! Individual runners and small groups up to 4 people are welcome on all Arboretum trails when the property is open to the public. (See our Plan a Visit page for current property hours).

Running groups (5+ people) should review the Running Group Guidelines linked below before visiting the Arboretum. We thank you in advance for helping to ensure a positive experience for all guests!

View Running Group Guidelines

Please observe the following etiquette while sharing the trails:

  • Runners should be courteous towards other visitors, leaving at least half the width of the trail/road open and announcing their presence when passing.
  • Runners/visitors under 16 years of age must be supervised by an adult. The adult must accompany the underage visitors on the trails.

Questions? Email groups@ncarboretum.org, and a member of our Guest Experience team will be happy to assist.

Student Field Trips

The Arboretum’s popular guided student field trip programs are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The schedule opens in late August for field trips in September through May. Scheduling several months in advance is highly recommended. Please click here to learn more about programs and pricing.