Asheville, NC

Montford Historic District, Gardens, UNC

This run is another great way to see some of the best of Asheville. It incorporates the Montford Historic District, Riverside Cemetery, the Botanical Gardens, and the UNC Campus. Starting at the Asheville Visitors Center, head north on Montford Ave., along sidewalks lined with beautiful houses and seasonally flowering trees. Add to or vary the run by enjoying any of pretty side streets. For the return, two options.

Cemetery Trails: use the lovely paths of the Riverside Cemetery west of Montford Ave., final resting place of Asheville notables like O. Henry and Thomas Wolfe. We checked–it’s OK to run there! 

Botanical Gardens/UNC For a longer, 4.2 mile run, just past Montford Park, take Catawba St. to the Reed Creek Greenway. Turn LEFT on the Greenway, heading north. There’s a 1/2 mile section through the Asheville Botanical Gardens, featuring 600+ species of Appalachian plants. Just past there, take Mullen Park to then enjoy a quick tour of the pretty, and hilly, UNC Asheville Campus. For the return, you can use the Greenway heading south or the pretty residential streets of the Montford neighborhood. To make this a shorter run, eliminate the Gardens or UNC option and just return along the Greenway.

 

Essentials
  • Cemetery Option: 3.2 miles; Gardens/UNC Option: 4.2 miles
  • 237 feet
  • Asheville Visitors Center
  • Montford Ave

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Jam Sanitchat
2 years ago

I ran this route in April 2022 and the part where you turn on to the green grass and continue onto a road at the end is blocked off. Took me a while to figure that out. After doing a few circles I ended up having to go to the gate and exit the same way and added a mile to the route.

Essentials
  • Cemetery Option: 3.2 miles; Gardens/UNC Option: 4.2 miles
  • 237 feet
  • Asheville Visitors Center
  • Montford Ave